Angels and Amazons
by zifnab'sdragon
Summary: One week after Dean leaves him in Idaho Castiel is still working his dead end job at Gas n Sip when a woman comes in late one night. She brings trouble with her and Castiel is literally dragged along for the ride. But who is she really and why does she remind him of a certain green eyed hunter? But most importantly, can he trust her?
1. Chapter 1 - Hydra Vampires

**_Chapter 1 - Hydra Vampires_**

_"I'm looking for a place; I'm searching for a face;_

_is anybody here I know?_

_Cause nothings going right; and everything's a mess;_

_and no one likes to be alone._

_Isn't anyone trying to find me?_

_Won't somebody come take me home?_

_It's a damn cold night, trying to figure out this life._

_Won't you take me by the hand, take me somewhere new?_

_I don't know who you are but I'm, I'm with you."_ -I'm With You by Avril Lavigne

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><p>Castiel, AKA Steve, straightened the cups and straws by the Slurpee machine. He then swept and mopped the entire floor of the convenience store.<p>

He was working the closing shift alone as usual. His fellow workers knew they could count on him to take the worst shifts without any complaint.

It had been a week since Dean had dropped him off and told him not to worry about the other angels and to just enjoy his new life. The only trouble was that since that day Castiel had realized he wasn't enjoying his new life. He barely made enough money to afford food. And he was sleeping in the stock room of the store without anyone's knowledge. And as far as he could tell his new life as a human held no good prospects. He couldn't even get a date.

The chime on the door brought him out of his spiraling self pity. He glanced at the clock to see it was 10 minutes to midnight. Almost closing time but still enough time for one more customer.

The customer in question was a tall, pretty woman who looked to be in her mid to late twenties. At second glance Castiel could see she was more than pretty, stunning would be a better word. And that was even despite her current state.

She was filthy.

From head to toe she was covered in mud, grime, some sort of black goo, and what looked suspiciously like dried blood. Her filth didn't seem to concern her though. She just smiled at Castiel/Steve, said "Four wheeling. Had bit of an accident." by way of explanation and headed towards the beer case.

"Can I help you find anything?" Castiel asked as he watched her make muddy boot prints all over his freshly mopped floor.

"Nope, just restocking a few supplies." She grabbed a case of beer, Castiel took note, as he always did, that it was Dean's favorite brand. She then headed over to the soft drink section and snagged several energy drinks. She swung by the door and dumped her drinks into a basket then headed down the snack aisle.

Castiel watched in dismay as she left mud everywhere she went. When she passed by him on the way to the nacho machine he was assaulted with a pungent smell.

Since becoming human Castiel had learned how to deal with all sorts of smells. But this one was an old smell, one that reminded him of battles fought long ago and some fought more recently. He went over to the beer case and dabbed at a spot of the black liquid the girl had left behind. He rubbed it between his fingers and took a small sniff. It stank of decay and fear. Of brimstone and sulfur. It was hell hound blood.

He looked at the woman who was now casually looking thru the magazine rack and began to scrutinize her more thoroughly. She was dressed in rugged clothes, jeans, work boots, a thick leather jacket. A slight bulge beneath the jacket at the small of her back probably meant a gun. The handle of some type of large blade could also be seen poking out.

She was a hunter. And apparently a formidable one if she had gone up against a hell hound and won. Castiel knew of only two other hunters to claim such a feat.

"See anything you like?" Castiel was startled out of his thoughts by her question. She wasn't looking at him, she was thumbing through a magazine. But since he was the only other person in the store she had to be talking to him.

"I, ah, what?"

His obvious confusion caused her to look up to see him blushing. This brought out a chuckle from her. "Never mind."

She placed the magazine and her shopping basket on the counter. Castiel came around and began ringing up her items. Close up he noticed several slashes in her jacket that looked liked claw marks. Her shirt underneath was torn and soaked in blood.

"You're hurt." Something made him reach out a hand to touch her, wanting to take away her pain. He stopped himself though as he realized he didn't even know her. And he wasn't an angel anymore.

The woman glanced down at her shoulder, as if she had forgotten there was a gaping wound there.

"Oh yeah, it's nothing. Had a run in with a bear and it grazed me with its claws."

The corner of Castiel's mouth twitched up and he raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought you said it was a four wheeling accident?"

"Yes," she replied without skipping a beat, "I ran into the bear while four wheeling." She gave Castiel what was probably her most charming smile, a smile that said, 'Look how adorable I am, you should believe every word that is coming out of my mouth.' That combined with a pair of striking green eyes sent an ache of loneliness through his heart.

"Oh pie!" She reached into the fully stocked display case and grabbed a piece of apple pie. For a brief moment Castiel wondered if someone was playing a joke on him.

The sound of breaks squealing caused both of them to look up. Outside two pick up trucks came roaring into the gas station and skidded to a halt. Several men and a few women climbed out of the cabs and the rear of the trucks. Castiel immediately sensed danger, even before the girl sucked in a shocked breath.

"Oh crap," she turned alarmed green eyes to him. "You've got to get out of here." The machete that had been hiding under her coat was in her right hand. Without really thinking about what he was doing, Cas jumped up and over the counter and ran to the door. He jammed his key in the lock and twisted it just as the lead man reached it. Separated only by two panes of glass, Cas looked into the feral eyes and the sharp fangs of a vampire. This glass is not going to stop them, he thought. But instead of smashing through the door the vampire just leveled a shot gun at Castiel.

Castiel felt himself being grabbed and literally jerked off his feet. The woman threw him over the counter and followed behind, landing gracelessly on top of him just as the shotgun fired and glass exploded into the store.

The woman rolled off of him and Castiel scrambled towards the door that lead to the back room. The woman followed right behind him and he lead her through the door that went to the back room. Once through he raced to the shelves that held all of the back stock for the store.

"No, no, no. We can't hide from these guys. We've got to get out of here now!" The woman stabbed her arm out and pointed towards the rear exit to emphasize her point.

Castiel ignored her and reached under one of the shelves where he had stashed his duffel bag that contained all of his possessions. It wasn't a very large duffel bag so he easily found his angel blade and pulled it out.

The woman was crouched behind the shelf nearest the door, the one that held all of the chips; she was trying to see the vampires. Castiel took a quick look and saw at least a dozen vampires pacing up and down the aisles looking for them. They didn't seem to realize they had gone to the back but it was only a matter of time before they decided to come looking.

The girl turned back towards him.

"We've got to get out of ... where did you get that?" She was peering suspiciously down at his blade.

"I, uh, found it."

"Uh huh." She wasn't buying it. "Do you know how to use it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Let's get out of here then."

She glanced out into the main store again. Then signaled Castiel to head towards the exit. "I'll follow you."

Castiel weaved thru the shelves for cover. He was aware of the girl occasionally grabbing items off the shelves behind him. It seemed like an odd time to be shoplifting.

"Check the back!" The call echoing back from the front of the store sent a chill thru Castiel's heart. He ducked under one of the shelves and saw several pairs of heavy boots coming into the back room. And they were still too far away from the back door with a lot of open space to cover.

He spun around when he heard the hiss of a beer being opened behind him. The girl had a six pack and was popping the tops off of each one with her bare hands.

This woman was insane.

"I don't think now is the appropriate time for a drink." He whispered harshly.

She leveled those green eyes at him: "Honey, if now is not the time then I don't know when is. But these are not for drinking." As if to demonstrate, she picked up two of the beers and spilled about a quarter of them out onto the floor. The rest were soon emptied by at least a quarter as well and it was only when she began to stuff a strip of cloth that she had doused in the spilled beer into the first bottle that Castiel caught on.

"Where are they?" she asked.

Castiel ducked a quick look and saw to his dismay a pair of combat boots no more than two feet away. He didn't dare say anything, instead signaling their immediate danger. She was working fast but only three bottles where ready to go. She handed one to Castiel along with a lighter she had liberated from a nearby box. Grabbing the other two bottles and her own lighter, she scooted farther down the shelves, and Castiel followed.

Crashes and yelling came from the front of the store, and Castiel had a sudden mental image of the neat shelves being overthrown and their contents spilled everywhere. He'd just finished organizing the store too.

"Come on out you little ..." the vampire closest to them started.

She made her move. Launching herself up she practically flew at the shelf that the vampire was standing behind. Using her own momentum she caused the shelf to crash down on top of the vampire, effectively stopping his shouts and putting him out of commission for a few minutes. Unfortunately they were now completely exposed to the other two vampires who had come back to search. The nearest, a petite blond in nursing scrubs, snarled and ran towards them. A flaming bottle smashed down in front of her and flames began consuming her alcohol soaked scrubs. Fire may not kill vampires but they weren't immune to its pain or the fear it caused. The blonde began shrieking and flailing around, doing a very good job of feeding the fire oxygen and spreading it around.

The second vampire was tall and apparently a former Olympian because he leapt right over another shelf and came down right on top of the woman. It happened so fast neither Castiel nor the woman could get out of the way. Instead, the woman was locked in a wrestling match with the gymnast. Castiel was about to rush to her aid when he noticed through the door to the main store that the commotion and fire had attracted the rest of the pack and the closest was almost thru the door. Castiel flicked the lighter in his hand, lit the cloth and hurled the bottle, aiming so that it would explode right in the doorway causing a wall of flame. He followed it up with two more unlit beer bottles to add fuel to the fire. He swung back around to help with the other vamp only to see its head had already been removed from its body. Bloody machete still in hand, the woman ran towards the back door, grabbing Castiel by the sleeve as she passed.

They crossed the remaining distance in a few bounds and crashed out the back door.

The rear of the store was up against a wooded area. Castiel started towards it but was held back by the woman.

"No, they'll be able to track us no problem in there. We've got to throw them off our scent." In one swift move she had Castiel's blue uniform vest off of him before he even realized what was happening. She wrapped it around the rock that was used by his fellow employees to hold open the back door and flung it like a discus far into the woods.

"Move." She was climbing up the dumpster with Castiel right behind. Once on top she jumped and caught the bottom rung of the ladder that lead to the roof. She scrambled up and over onto the roof. As Castiel came up, he was pulled over the lip just as the back door crashed open and shouts of angry vampires could be heard.

Flattened down on the gravel of the roof they listened as the vampires shouted at each other. Castiel held his breath, hopefully the stink of the garbage dumpster would disguise their scents and throw the vampires off their trail. Finally one yelled something about the scent of the "attractive man," and they heard the sounds of several vampires crashing off into the woods. They stayed still for just a moment more, listening.

"Have they all gone?" Castiel whispered after a few more moments of quiet.

"I sincerely doubt we're going to be that lucky." But still she got up and, staying as low as possible, headed towards the side of the roof overlooking the main parking lot. Castiel again followed her, struck with the sudden thought that he was trusting this woman even though he didn't even know her name. Maybe it was because she was a hunter. Maybe it was because he was an idiot.

They slowed right before the edge and crept over to peer down at the parking lot.

Down below the two vampire trucks were parked so as to block the front entrance. A few vampires could be seen milling about, no doubt left to cover any escape attempts.

The woman swore under her breath. Parked a little farther away was another vehicle. It took Castiel a moment to figure out what type of vehicle it was. A Jeep Wrangler. He didn't know anything about cars, unless said car was a certain 67 Impala. But one of the regulars to the gas station had one, and he often bragged about it to anyone who would listen. Castiel was often one of those someones. It was large and boxy, with large tires that were caked in mud . The parking lot lights glinted of a dark paint job. And it might as well have been across town because a bunch of vampires were blocking their way to it.

Swearing defiantly seemed to be in order.

"We need a distraction." Castiel stated. He glanced at the woman, she was perfectly still except for her eyes. They were darting around everywhere. Scanning the whole parking lot, looking at the vampires, looking at her vehicle, looking at the gas pumps. Suddenly she was looking at Castiel.

"Gas stations have to have really good insurance, right?"

"Ahh ... I believe so. Why?"

"Just checking."

She reached into her jacket and produced a small case that she opened to reveal several small throwing knives.

The smell of smoke was beginning to fill the air and the sound of the store's fire alarm could be heard. Castiel wondered how long it would be before the fire department would respond. But the fire station was clear on the other side of town, and what would they do against a bunch of vampires anyway.

The woman suddenly stood, flung her arm out, and crouched back down just as swiftly. Castiel didn't understand for a moment then he realized she had thrown one of the knives. He didn't see where though.

They peered down at the vamps again, but none of them seemed to have noticed a knife flying over their heads.

The woman stood again and flung her arm out twice in a row before ducking down again. This time Castiel saw where the knives went. Each of the three gas pumps facing towards the store had had their lines sliced partially thru by a knife. Gas was spilling out of them and running downhill towards the front of the store and beginning to pool around the vampires' trucks.

He really, really hoped that the owners had good insurance.

He watched as the woman pulled her last Molotov cocktail out of her jacket along with the lighter. Down below one of the vampires jumped down from the bed of the truck he had been perched in. He seemed surprised when he landed with a splash. He glanced down, then traced the liquid's path back up to the gas pumps. Even from up on the roof Castiel could see the look of horror cross the vampire's face. But before it could shout out a warning there was the sound of a lighters click, a soft sigh as the bottle flew thru the air, the crash of glass splintering onto the hard asphalt, followed by the sudden whoosh of a huge fireball igniting. The vampires in the puddle were engulfed in the flames immediately, their screams a horrid sound piercing the night.

"I'm pretty sure they're distracted now." The woman got up and sprinted back across the roof and looked over the edge. Two vampires, who had been left behind to guard the rear, could be seen dashing around the corner of the building towards the sound of the screams. The woman quickly climbed back down the ladder. Castiel was right behind her and together they got down to the ground and ran around the left side of the building to get to the waiting vehicle. They spared only a brief glance at the vampires, but none of them noticed them. Castiel did notice that only one of the trucks was burning. The other one was so far spared from the flames. There was no time to do anything about it though, so he turned away and focused on keeping up. They reached the jeep and were about to scrambled inside when the vampires who had been guarding the back tackled them to the ground. Castiel hit the pavement with a painful grunt. Fortunately the vampire that had attacked him rolled off, carried on by its own momentum. It gave Castiel just enough time to roll onto his back as the vampire scrambled back to its feet and bore down on him. Castiel aimed and drove his blade thru the vampire's throat, severing the spinal cord. Technically the vamp could heal itself from the injury, but not in the next five minutes. Castiel shoved the vamp off him. "Get in!" The woman had a dead vampire at her feet but there were more coming from the woods. Castiel jumped in thru the driver's side door, which was already opened. He slid over as the woman jumped in after him. The engine roared to life and the woman threw it into reverse, ran over a vampire that had escaped the flames, then skidded out of the parking lot.

Two run stop signs and a stop light later, she finally slowed down.

"Whoa, I can't believe we just survived that. Good work, Steve." She clapped him on the shoulder and was grinning from ear to ear.

Castiel realized he was doing the same. He felt giddy with relief.

Which is exactly why at that moment the other vampire truck came hurtling at them out of the night.

The girl slammed the brakes and swerved out of the way just in time, but Castiel got a very close look at the angry vampires in the cab of the truck.

"There's a shotgun under your seat. You know how to use one?"

"Of course."

"Great! Shoot out the tires or go for the radiator."

Castiel pulled out the sawed off shotgun and rolled down the window before a sudden thought occurred to him. "Where is the radiator?" he said.

"Are you kidding me, you have an angel blade and know how to use a shotgun but you don't know where the radiator is on a truck!?"

"I've never had the need to know before."

"Just aim for the tires."

"Right."

Castiel leaned out the window and took aim. The truck rammed the jeep just as he fired causing his shot to go thru the wind shield and hit the vampire who was driving. And I don't care what badass creature of the night you think you are, a spray of buckshot to the head is going to distract you. The truck swerved towards them again glancing off the back bumper. But without any real direction behind it other than general out of controlness, the woman was able to keep her vehicle from spinning out as well. The victory was short lived though, as she swerved to avoid a second truck coming at them thru the night. It was obviously not the one they had left burning in the parking lot so it must have been a third vehicle the vampires had brought but left somewhere other than the gas station. It made tactical sense to have a reserve, the warrior in Castiel mused.

"What is up with these vampires?" The woman complained "I swear every time I chop off one of their heads, two more pop up in its place." She scowled at the second truck. " They're Hydra vampires." she declared.

Castiel frowned in thought. "I'm not sure that's a real thing."

"Oh it's a thing."

The second truck slammed into the driver side door and Castiel's head hit against the top of the door. A bright burst of pain caused colored spots to dance behind his eyes momentarily.

The woman yanked the wheel to the left and smashed her vehicle into the truck in an attempt to knock it off course. The truck swerved some but came right back at them, and Castiel was once again slammed into the door. The jolt caused more spots and a sharper pain. When his vision cleared again he saw, to his chagrin, that the driver of the first truck had recovered and was speeding up behind them.

"Look out!" He warned.

The woman glanced into the rear view mirror. "See! Hydra vampires!"

"Well actually they're the same ones from before."

"Zip it, Steve." She yanked the wheel hard to the right, cutting in front of the first truck, thus causing the second one to slam on its brakes and swerve to avoid a crash. Leaving just the first truck following them. The woman's hard turn to the right also put them on a new road, one that Castiel recognized.

"Be careful ahead," he warned, "there's a blind curve against a cliff."

"Oh really." This caused a very mischievous grin. It made Castiel's stomach do funny flips to see it.

As the curve approached, Castiel became concerned that they were not slowing down. He glanced over and his concern turned to slight panic at the look of, there was no other way to describe it, insanity on the woman's face. As the guard rail came into view and Castiel was seriously contemplating jumping from a speeding vehicle, the brakes squealed, the car spun 90 degrees and rocked slightly as it came to a full stop. Castiel peered out the window at the guardrail only a foot from the side of the car. The sound of an engine revving snapped his focus back to the road where the first truck was bearing down on them. The slight panic was upgraded to full blown panic.

His first reaction was to spread his wings and take them both away from the danger. He reached out his hand and gripped her shoulder before he remembered. She looked over at him, winked, slammed the gas, and the vehicle fishtailed for a moment before the tires caught, and they surged forward just as the truck flew past the back bumper, crashing through the guardrail, and over the cliff.

"Haha!" The woman crowed. Followed by, "Aw crap!" As the other truck came bearing down on them again. She threw the car into reverse, unfortunately the vampires either knew about the cliff or they were better drivers, because they turned sharply, just barely glancing the guardrail and took off in pursuit.

"I'm so done with these guys." She spun the wheel and turned the car 180 degrees and began scanning the edge of the road. She must have found what she was looking for because she suddenly pulled off to the side and stopped the car. Reaching behind her she produced two twin short blades. "Out!" And Castiel once again found himself obeying. She dashed into the woods that ran alongside the road, Castiel following close behind. He heard the sound of brakes squealing, truck doors being opened, then the shouts of the vampires as they crashed thru the woods . The woman quickly turned her head most likely hearing it as well, but she kept going until they arrived in a clearing. She then turned towards the sounds, putting her back to a large tree. "I'm done running." It came out as a snarl that sent a small shiver up Castiel's spine. Not an entirely bad shiver either. He stood next to her and pulled out his angel blade as she brandished the twin short swords. "You want my machete?" she asked.

"I prefer my blade." he replied. She quirked an eyebrow at him and smirked.

The vampires tumbled into the clearing; there where five of them, one girl and four guys. And they were obviously expecting to just tear into Castiel and the woman, but were brought up short by their quarry just standing there waiting for them. For half a second they hesitated, seeing the looks of promised death being directed at them, but their pride got the better of them.

"I'm gonna enjoy breaking you girl." The one with the brown shaggy hair said. "You've given us a lot of trouble, and I'm going to take it out on your hide. Your little friend there too."

"Little?" She glanced up at Castiel, "Guy's got to be at least 6 feet. Unless you're trying to be ironic. Or you've seen 'The Wizard of Oz' too many times." she added thoughtfully.

This earned her an honest to goodness snarl. Castiel raised his blade as the vampires attacked. Two came at Castiel, a man with a shaved head, and the girl. They were both armed with machetes and Castiel blocked the first blow the man aimed at his side easily. Wasting no energy he swung back at the vampire with his blade, neatly slicing his head off. The girl howled in rage and charged him. However, when the girl raised her machete high and brought it bearing down with the intent to hack Castiel's skull in two, he belatedly realized he was no longer supernaturally strong. He raised his blade and blocked, but the force of the impact pushed him backwards, throwing him off balance. The thing that saved him was the slope of his blade. The machete slid down and off trajectory, but it still sliced thru his shoulder even as he continued to stumble backwards. A root tripped him and he sprawled on the forest floor. Almost immediately the vamp was on him. Castiel fought, but he didn't have the strength to knock his attacker off. The vampire locked an arm around his throat and pulled him up into a kneeling position. Pain laced thru his scalp as she grabbed a fist full of his hair in order to pull his head back. Castiel's throat was exposed to the vampire and cold dread settled in his stomach.

"You're so pretty I might just decide to keep you." The thing cooed in his ear.

"I would rather suffer all the tortures of Hell."

"That can be arranged too."

White hot pain seared thru him as she bite into the soft flesh between the collar bone and the base of the neck. The analytical part of Castiel's brain noted that it was a bite not intended to kill. The terrified part of his brain said, 'Who cares!'

The female vampire pulled back. "Wow, you taste good. Why do you taste so good?" The vampire seemed to be having a foodgasm over Castiel's blood. Which distracted her long enough that she didn't notice one of her friends flying across the clearing at them until the last moment. The airborne body didn't hit them but it was close enough that the vampire loosened the head lock long enough for Castiel to roll forward and throw her off.

His angel blade was on the ground nearby, and he lunged for it. He was stopped short by no more than an inch when the vampire grabbed onto his legs. He stretched for the blade even as he tried to kick the vampire in her face. But she held on and pulled him farther away. She rolled him over onto his back. Castiel found himself being straddled by the thing, her hands wrapped around his neck, squeezing tight. His vision began to darken around the edges. She pulled his head up by the neck and slammed him back into the dirt, still choking the life out of him. The bump he had sustained earlier throbbed horribly, and he almost blacked out.

Suddenly he remembered something. Reaching down into his pocket he found the small utility blade he used to open up the boxes of stock at the gas station. He thumbed the blade out of its sheath and swiped it across the vampires eye. The vampire let out a high pitched cry and let go of Castiel, clutching both hands to her injured eye. Castiel threw the vampire off him one more time and launched himself at his blade. He wrapped his hand around the warm metal, sat up and turned just in time to stab the vampire thru the throat as it was trying to jump him again. He felt the ease with which his blade slide thru muscle and tendons, but he knew he had missed severing the spinal cord. He grabbed the tip of the blade that was protruding from the other side and wrenched it around as hard as he could. Head and body were more or less separated and Castiel sat back on his haunches, spitting blood from his mouth and wiping gore from his eyes. He looked around the clearing and caught the tail end of the woman's fight. She had already dispatched one vamp, and with a swipe of one of her short swords she relieved the second vamp of its head. The third was now circling her warily, looking for an opening. It was the one with the brown saggy hair that had taunted her earlier. Castiel thought about going to help but he had the feeling she could handle herself. And his head was pounding something terrible, and his vision still wasn't quite back to normal. So he just sat and watched as the woman charged the last vampire, side stepped the machete it swung at her. The vampire hit the ground, tucking his head under to roll and gain his feet again. It snarled and charged her, at the last second he threw his blade at her, maybe trying to distract her. She just knocked the machete away with one of the short swords and removed his head with the other, almost gracefully Castiel thought. She wiped the blades on the shaggy haired one's jacket before returning them to their sheaths. She came over to Castiel, who was still kneeling on the ground, and made a face at the nearly headless vampire.

"Dude, that was the most disgusting way I have ever seen to decapitate someone. And, incredibly badass. So kudos to you."

Castiel found himself, for reasons he was unsure of, smiling at her. She smiled back, the warmth reaching her green eyes. She put out her hand, Castiel took it, and she easily pulled him to his feet. However, his ability to stay vertical was immediately compromised by the entire forest spinning.

"Whoa!" The only thing that kept him from tumbling back down to the forest floor were surprisingly strong arms. It was kind of odd actually, now that he really thought about it, she seemed far too strong for someone her size. Not that there was anything wrong with her size. It was a nice size, with a nice shape, and …

"Nice eyes."

"What?" Those nice eyes were looking at him with concern. He had seen that look before somewhere. He couldn't seem to recall where. Though he was pretty sure green eyes were a common theme to this look of concern. If the forest would just cooperate and stop spinning he might be able to think clearly.

Concerned green eyes studied him. Finger tips brushed against a sore spot on the side of his head, and he winched.

"I think you might have a concussion Steve. Why don't I take you back to my place and fix you up." She started leading him out of the forest and towards the Hummer. Castiel went along willingly for a few steps before he jerked out of her grasp.

"No, I can't!" he said forcefully. Or at least he tried to say it forcefully, the slurred speech ruined the effect. "Last time I went home with a woman she seduced me then stabbed me." He turned away from the woman and lurched off in a different direction. He had a vague idea of returning to the gas station, completely forgetting it was in flames at the moment. He didn't get very far before stumbling again and again being saved by arms that were too strong. This warranted mentioning.

"You're too strong. What are you?"

There was a huff of breath near his ear as she turned him back towards the jeep.

"I'm the girl who's trying to make sure you don't stagger off into the night and end up dead in a ditch. But you can just call me Rina. Seriously though, you're in really bad shape. You've at least got a mild concussion, and I saw that vamp take a bite out of you. I can't take you to a hospital because there will be awkward questions about why you're covered in someone else's blood. So why don't you let me take you to the hotel I'm staying at; I'll get you your own room, then I can help you get cleaned up and make sure there is no permanent damage. And we'll even skip the whole seducing then stabbing part, K?"

As she talked she slowly lead Castiel back to her vehicle. Castiel went along mostly because he couldn't think what else to do. She made a good point and had promised not to kill him. So there wasn't any harm in going with her, right? This seemed to make sense to his addled brain, and soon he found himself sliding back into the passenger side of the Hummer. As soon as he was sitting a wave of exhaustion swept over him, and his eyelids felt heavy. He had almost closed them when they were pried back open, and a bright light was blasted into each of his eyeballs. When the light disappeared, he was left with spots in his vision that cleared to show the woman, Rina, standing in front of him with a pen light in her hand.

"Your pupils are pretty responsive so it's ok to sleep. I'm still going to have to wake you up every few hours. Make sure you remember what year it is and that your name is Steve." A bottle of water got pressed into his hands and he took a few sips before the complete exhaustion pulled his eyes closed again. The bottle was taken from his hands and a seatbelt was pulled across his chest.

Rina slid onto her side and started the vehicle back up. As they pulled out onto the road Castiel opened his eyes to peer over at her. A thought had just struck him. "But my name's not really Steve."

She gave him a small rueful smile. "That's okay, my name's not really Rina."


	2. Chapter 2 - Coffee, a Muffin,

**Chapter 2 - Coffee, a Muffin, and a Police Investigation**

_"Well, you need a blue sky holiday_  
><em>The point is they laugh at what you say<em>  
><em>And I don't need no carryin' on<em>

_You had a bad day, you're taking one down_  
><em>You sing a sad song, just to turn it around<em>  
><em>You say you don't know, you tell me don't lie<em>  
><em>You work at a smile and you go for a ride"<em> -Bad Day by Powter

* * *

><p>The car ride back to the motel is just a series of vague memories for Castiel.<p>

He remembered Rina getting him in the car and every time they had hit a bump his head hurt excruciatingly. He remembered Rina checking him into the motel giving him his own room as promised. He most definitely remembered her stitching up the bite on his shoulder and the cut on his head and other shoulder. Fortunately she had an extensive medical kit contained within a large tool box that included a local anesthetic. After stitching him up, she'd given him a pair of sweatpants and T-shirt that he wasn't quite sure where she'd gotten from. She then sent him off to the shower to get cleaned up only to have to rescue him a short while later, because he'd turned the water on too hot, overheated and fainted in the shower, bumping his head once again.

True to her word she woke him up about every two hours but never once asked him to tell his name, which was probably a very good thing. Because he was so tired and groggy he could barely remember what day it was let alone his alias. He vaguely remembered some of his dreams throughout the night, a few nightmares but mostly odd ones about potato chips and the Slurpie machine.

Morning finally rolled around, and Castiel woke to a splitting headache and a taste in his mouth that made him wonder if something crawled in and died during the night. He looked around to realize he was alone in the room, Rina having disappeared at some point, maybe finally deciding he didn't need to be woken up anymore. As he glanced around the small room, he tried to get his bearings. Other than the bed, there was a small desk with a chair, a tiny bathroom, and a night stand next to the bed. He noticed his angel blade sitting on it along with a note. Picking up the note he saw loopy feminine writing that must have been Rina's:

"Gone to get breakfast. Be back in a bit. Here's your angel blade just in case anyone tries to seduce you and stab you will I'm gone :)"

Cas groaned. He had kind of been hoping that that part of the conversation had stayed inside his mind instead of coming out his mouth, but it seems his addled brain had let whatever he was thinking slip through. He hoped he hadn't said anything else compromising.

Gingerly he tried standing. He felt a bit dizzy but not too bad. Hopefully the head injury wasn't anything too serious. Looking around the room he tried to find his things, until he remembered that his duffel bag and everything it had contained most likely had been burned in the fire. He wasn't even sure he should go back to the gas station to find out if it had survived since the police most likely wanted to ask him some questions that he wasn't sure how to answer. He did find his pants though, which still had his cell phone and his wallet. Or technically it was Jimmy's wallet, but it had been in his pocket for so long that he kind of thought of it as his. Though he had added his own fake ID to it. The only other items in his possession was the little bit of cash he had on hand and the FBI ID badge Dean had given him so long ago. It was depressing to think he was back to where he had been when he first fell, although at least he now had a cell phone.

He flipped open the cell phone. It only contained 3 contact numbers. Dean, Sam, and his boss's cell. He ignored the 7 missed calls from Nora. For a brief moment his finger hovered over Dean's name. But he hesitated. What would he say? What help could Dean even offer? It wasn't like he would invite him back into the bunker. Castiel knew he wasn't welcome there. He would just be a liability.

He sat back down just for a moment, trying to get his thoughts together. He was pretty sure he wanted to get out of here, but he felt bad about leaving Rina without any explanation. She had been very nice about getting him fixed up. However, he had learned to be cautious around those who were suddenly there to help him out. Although the need for help had only come after she had lead a group of angry vampires to his place of employment. But still he had learned to be cautious, especially around strange women who were nice to him. He slowly got up off the bed again so as not to get dizzy. He was just looking for his shoes when he heard the click of the key card in the door. It opened to the sight of Rina with 2 cups of coffee and a plate with a bunch of random pastries.

"Good news, the motel has a continental breakfast. Didn't know what you like, so I kind of brought a sampling of everything." She looked up at him and smirked. "Wow, you give 'bed head' a whole new meaning."

Castiel self-consciously tried to comb his hair down with his fingers.

"Oh don't fix it on my account. It's defiantly not a bad look." She gave him a grin as she handed him one of the cups of coffee and a few packets of sugar and creamer. Castiel found himself blushing, which only made her grin wider.

"How's the head?"

"It feels much better. I was actually just going to leave." He stood to go but was immediately hit with another dizzy spell. A hand on the wall was the only thing that kept him upright.

"Uh huh." Setting the pastries down, she gently pushed him back down to the bed. She carefully began checking out his many injuries. The pen light came out again and the first aid kit was opened so bandages could be replaced. As she did so, Castiel felt a calm feeling settle in his chest, and it was only after a few moments that he noticed she was quietly humming to herself as she worked. It wasn't a tune he recognized, and it wasn't a calming lullaby either. It had an upbeat, steady rhythm. Not something meant to soothe but rather probably just a tune she had stuck in her head. And suddenly he realized that's why it was calming him. People with ulterior motives tended to have to think about everything they were doing so as not to let anything slip through. But someone who had nothing to hide would just be themselves, not worrying about what they revealed. Which seemed odd since she had admitted she wasn't using her real name.

"Everything looks ok." She grabbed a cheese Danish off the plate and sat down next to him on the bed. "You should probably not be left alone until 24 hours have passed, just to make sure there isn't any lasting damage. Do you have a friend or relative I could take you to?"

Castiel fidgeted with his coffee. "That's not necessary. I can find my own way. Thank you for your help, though. I really appreciate it."

"No problem," she shrugged, "but I'm not letting you go until I'm entirely sure that you're ok or at least with someone else who will make sure you're ok."

Castiel grabbed a blueberry muffin off the plate and tried to look as though he was busy eating. Much too busy to answer questions.

But Rina was nothing if not persistent. After a few moments of pointedly staring at him, and Castiel doing his best to pretend he didn't notice, she leaned into his space. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

She leveled a look at him. "Do you have someone like that?"

"Like what?"

The look deepened. "Someone who will make sure you're ok."

It was a simple question. One that shouldn't be causing the lump in his throat that he had to swallow around. You can't stay.

"No," he finally answered, his gaze dropping down to his bare feet, "I don't have anyone like that anymore."  
>He glanced back up at her, expecting to see pity, but instead he just saw concern mixed with a bit of anger. Not anger directed at Castiel though, so he wasn't quite sure where it was coming from.<p>

"Well I really can't leave you alone now. Maybe I can take you somewhere? How about I take you back to your place and I can just call you throughout the day and make sure you're okay?"

Cass began peeling the paper off of his blueberry muffin. "It's really okay." he insisted. "I feel fine."

She gave him another dubious look. "I'm having a hard time believing that, what with you almost collapsing earlier. Just let me drive you home. I promise not to stalk you or anything."

"No, it's fine." He was aware he was repeating himself but he wasn't quite sure what he was going to do since he didn't have a home to be driven to.

Rina gave an exasperated sigh. "Just tell me where you live. You must have somewhere to go. It's not like you were living in the back of that gas station."

Castiel suddenly became very interested in eating his muffin again.

"Wait ... were you living in the back of that gas station?"

"No!" Castiel protested a bit too quickly.

"You were! You were living in the back of a gas station. Well I'm definitely not leaving you alone now."

"It's not that big of a deal." Castiel protested.

"It is a dig deal. It's a monumentally huge deal. I burnt down your home." Rina seemed quite distressed at this realization. "Who was the irresponsible person who let you be out on your own?"

Castiel felt mildly insulted, she was acting like he was incapable of taking care of himself. "I've been doing fine on my own. And I will continue to be fine. I don't need anyone to take care of me."

Rina had the decency to realize her mistake. She took a breath and calmed down. "I'm sorry. I just meant that there ought to be someone helping you out. Making sure you at least have somewhere to live."

Castiel didn't want to have this conversation anymore. He did know that one of the aspects of society was that if you cared for someone you looked out for them and made sure they were ok. You helped them when they needed help. You didn't kick them out if they had nowhere else to go.

Rina placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please let me get you breakfast and find you somewhere to stay."

She was trying to be kind but Castiel had already decided to not accept anymore of her help.

"I promise I'm fine. And you are already got me breakfast." Indicating the muffin he was still holding in his hand.

She narrowed her eyes. "You tell me you're fine one more time and I'm going to beat you with that muffin."

"I ... wait, what?" Castiel was saved from puzzling out this odd threat by a knock at the motel room door.  
>They both jumped at the sound.<p>

"You order room service or something?" Rina asked. He shock his head. "Well this can't be good at all then. Stay there." She indicated for him to stay on the bed as she quietly crept over to the window and peeked through the curtains. "Crap. Pretty sure those two are police."

"What would they want?"

"Oh probably just investigating the little case of arson from last night; no big deal I'm sure."

Castiel wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic. "Actually arson is quite a serious crime."

"Thank you for that. I wouldn't have known otherwise." He was pretty sure that she was being sarcastic that time. "The question is, are they looking for just one of us or both?"

A more insistent knock came along with the shouted, "Open up ma'am, police."

"Well that answers our question. Go hide in bathroom," she ordered. "And don't forget your coffee cup." Castiel grabbed his cup of coffee and headed to the small bathroom. Rina had grabbed his shoes and clothes and tossed them in after him. "Stay put, I'll attempt to get rid of them. Somehow." She left the door slightly ajar behind her so he could still hear what was going on.

"Good morning gentlemen what can I do for you?"

"Ma'am, I'm Detective Wilson, and this is Detective Petersons. We are looking for someone. Have you seen this man?" They must've been holding a picture.

"No sorry haven't seen him." Rina replied, in what Castiel was beginning to recognize as her most charming tone.

"Really?" Detective Wilson was not charmed. "He was reported seen at this motel. In fact he was reportedly seen being checked into this room by you."

"I'm not that kind of girl."

A second voice joins in, probably belonging to Detective Petersons. "This man is wanted for questioning in a case of arson and homicides last night at the Gas n' Sip near here. As well as several accidents that happened on the road resulting in even more deaths."

"That sounds serious."

"Which car is yours ma'am?" Petersons asked.

Rina let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, let me level with you guys. I'm Special Agent Clark with the Denver office. I've been on the trail of a gang suspected of a series of murders and disappearances starting in Colorado and leading to this area. Unfortunately, they tracked me to the Gas n' Sip last night where they ambushed me. Mr. Smith was there, as you know, and I had to take him with me for his own protection. I was hoping not to have to get you guys involved because it is a delicate situation."

This was surprisingly close to the truth. Except for the part where she wasn't FBI and the gang was a bunch of vampires.

"Do you have some ID to back up this story?" Petersons asked, doubt clearly evident in his voice.

"Sure thing, come on in and I'll grab it. Steve are you decent?"

Castiel came out of the bathroom to see the two detectives stepping into the room. Rina was following behind them, pulling out her FBI badge for inspection.

"Steve Smith?" Castiel recognized the voice as Detective Petersons. A man of average height with sandy brown hair.

"Yes, I am Steve Smith." Petersons exchanged a look with his partner Wilson, a taller man with light blond hair.

"Mr. Smith could you please tell us what happened last night at the Gas n' Sip on Main St.?"

Castiel kept himself from glancing over at Rina, whom he could see out of the corner of his eye leaning against the wall.

"It was just before closing time when Agent Clark came into the store for some items."

"Did you notice anyone following her at the time?" Wilson asked.

"No, it was only when two pickup trucks pulled up and a group of very angry and malevolent people attacked the store that I realized there was danger. One of them shot out the front door with a shot gun."

The detectives nodded at that. It was easy to tell the story truthfully. "Did you know that Agent Clark was FBI?" Petersons asked.

"No, in fact I didn't even know her name until after the danger was passed."

"Then why go with her? Did you go willingly?" Petersons' suspicion of Rina was evident.

"I went with her because it was obvious those people were after her and that we both needed to get to safety. She didn't seem to mean me any harm either. And there were not many other options at the time. I don't have a vehicle and she did."

"Why not just call the police?"

"There wasn't an opportunity." Though now that Castiel thought about it he could have called while they were up on the roof. It just hadn't occurred to him.

"And after the attack was over. You choose to come here to her hotel room instead of to the police station, or a hospital?" Petersons indicated the bandage that was peeking out from under the collar of his t-shirt.

"I had a concussion; I wasn't very lucid. And this isn't Agent Clark's room. It's mine; she slept next door." This comment earned him a scowl from Petersons.

Rina had been letting the detectives question him without interrupting up to this point. But she now pushed herself off the wall and came to stand by the bed. "I brought Mr. Smith here because he is in protective custody. He is a witness in this case now."

"He couldn't be in protective custody at a hospital?"

Rina scowled at Petersons. "I'm allowed to make judgment calls as they are necessary. That's why I get to be a special agent."

"Well special agent," Petersons scowled back, "how 'bout we contact your supervisor and see if we can't get this whole mess cleared up?"

Rina snorted. "I doubt you'll be able to get a hold of him. I'm part of a group that is tasked to deal with the more unusual cases. As such, my superiors are in DC. And before you ask to speak to the agent in charge in Denver, there isn't one cause I'm the agent in charge for the Southwest region."

"Aren't you a little young to be a Special Agent in Charge?"

"Excuse me?" Rina was tall for a woman but she pulled herself up into an intimidating stance that made her seem to tower over even the taller Wilson. "Did you just question if I'm old enough to be doing something? What are we in an episode of Phineas and Ferb?"

Even Castiel took a slight step back to avoid the rage flowing off the woman.

"We didn't mean any offence," Wilson started.

"No offence huh? So you just thought you could come in here, mess up the case I've been working on night and day for the past two months, question MY witness, and then suggest that I'm not even old enough to do my job?!"

"No, not at all." Wilson was trying to be placating but Rina was having none of that.

"It's because I'm a girl isn't it? Huh? If I was one of the good old boys this wouldn't even be an issue. Would it?!"

Wilson and Petersons had backed up against a wall at this point and were actually cowering. Castiel was reminded of the phrase 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' Except in this case it was 'Hell hath no fury like a woman whose abilities and age have been called into question.'

"We really didn't mean to offend you." Petersons managed to collect himself long enough to take back control of the situation. "We are just trying to do our job. As are you I'm sure. So why don't we all just go down to the station and we can figure this out, okay?"

"Fine." Rina spat at him. "But he's to stay with me at all times," She shot a finger at Castiel who jumped a bit, "Got it?"

"Yes, yes, no problem."

"Grab your stuff, Steve. And I'm taking my own car." Rina snarled at the two detectives.

"Absolutely, no problem."

"Don't forget your coffee, Steve." Rina snapped shut the first aid kit, grabbed her own coffee and marched out the door. "I do not have time for this crap today." He heard her mutter as she left.

Castiel glanced at the two detectives who were trying to pull themselves together after the verbal lashing. He quickly grabbed his coffee and few possessions out of the bathroom and rushed after his ride.

Once he was in the Jeep Rina practically tore out of the parking lot. It wasn't until they were a safe distance from the hotel that he saw her visibly relax and replace the scowl on her face with a grin. "I can't believe that worked."

They took the on-ramp for the highway, but it wasn't until Castiel noticed that they were heading south that he realized they were not going to the police station. "Um, where are we going?"

"I told you I was going to take you somewhere safe. I'm not leaving you homeless."

Castiel scowled.

"Don't worry," Rina said when she saw him scowling. "I'll call Wilson later and explain I was suddenly called away on very important business. It'll give me time to patch up the holes in my cover story."

That wasn't what had Castiel worried though. He was worried because once again he was just blindly following this person he barely knew. And the most worrying part was that he didn't feel like he should be worrying about it. It was as if he knew without a doubt that he could trust Rina. Which probably made him a bigger fool than he had previously thought he was.


	3. Chapter 3 - Rina Finally Gets Consent

**Chapter 3 - Rina Finally Gets Consent (but not in that way) **

_"I'm on my way, don't know where I'm going. _

_I'm on my way,_

_I'm taking my time, but I don't know where."_

- Me And Julio Down By the Schoolyard by Paul Simon

* * *

><p>Turned out that fixing the cover story involved finding a diner with free wi-fi so Rina could hack into the FBI computers and create a case file for herself. As she explained she had done this before.<p>

"I even made myself a real agent a while back, see." She flipped the computer around so Castiel could see her profile, which included her picture and all relevant data. "I can create a file for you. Wanna be in my division? We are tasked with the weird jobs. I've put so many clearance restrictions and route it thru so many departments that it would take someone months to finally figure out it's not a real group and that we're not real agents." She turned her laptop back around and gave a gleeful cackle as she typed away.

The server came over to get their orders. Rina ordered waffles with a side of sausage and a mocha. Castiel had looked over the menu carefully and decided he could afford some scrambled eggs and a coffee.

Rina glared at him from over her laptop. "You're getting more than coffee and eggs."

The server paused, pen and eyebrows raised.

"I'm not that hungry, I ate earlier."

"You had three bites of a blueberry muffin. You're getting more than eggs."

"Eggs are a very nutritious breakfast."

"Steve look around us, this is not a place you go to get a nutritious breakfast. This is a place you go to pig out on carbs and fat."

The server tried not to laugh, and ended up with a snorting cough.

Castiel just heaved a very put-upon sigh. He was beginning to learn that when Rina wanted her way, she got it. "Fine. I'll have pancakes too."

"He'll have a side if bacon with those pancakes as well." Rina added before going back to her hacking. The server chuckled to herself as she wrote down the rest of the order and left. Castiel glared at Rina who ignored it.

"You're going to insist on paying for my breakfast aren't you?" It wasn't so much of a question as a statement.

"You're very astute Steve. Hey let's call this gang that I was tracking 'The Hydra'. Ya know, because they were hydra vampires."

"That's still not a real thing."

"It's a thing. Because I said it is."

"You can't just make it a thing by saying it's a thing." Castiel insisted.

"Oh Steve, you have so much to learn about me."

Castiel agreed to this whole heartedly. Speaking of which, "So what are your intentions towards me?"

Rina looked up at this, a bemused smile on her face. "I love the way you talk. So formal and straight forward but not above some great sass now and then. My intentions, since you asked, are to take you to some hunters I know in Colorado. I say hunters but they are mostly retired. But they still find jobs for others and take in any hunter who's passing through. They'll be happy to let you stay there a while until you can get back on your feet."

"You never even asked me if I want to go anywhere with you or stay with these hunters." Castiel pointed out, trying not to sound too plaintive.

Rina looked up in genuine surprise. "I didn't? Are you sure, cause I'm pretty sure that was part of our conversation earlier."

"No it wasn't."

"Really? Huh. Oh that's right, Wilson and Petersons interrupted us before we concluded that part. Speaking of which-" she pulled out her phone and began fiddling with it. Their server came back with their coffees as Rina placed a call to detective Wilson. Castiel added sugar to his coffee and carefully sipped it as he waited for her to finish. She was trying to convince Wilson not to come to where they were and instead gave him a number to call. Once she hung up with the detective she immediately dialed another number. "Hey Gary, it's Rina." Castiel could hear a male voice coming from the other end. He sounded annoyed. "It's not like I went in intending to set the place on fire. ... In my defense the whole place was filled with vampires. ... Yeah, well, that 'nest' turned out to be more like a commune; I've never seen so many vamps in one place before. And they had a hellhound. How the heck do a bunch of vamps get a hellhound? ... Look I just called to let you know that a Detective Wilson or Petersons will be calling. Just giving the usual 'this is above your pay grade' spiel. Oh, and I'm heading back to you guys right now, and I'm bringing a hunter who needs a place to stay. ... His name is Steve. ... No, haven't met him before. ... Tall, dark, ruggedly handsome, blue eyes you could get lost in. And blushes very easily." Rina grinned at Castiel's obvious discomfort. "Okay, we should be there by tomorrow. Sooner if I decide to trust Steve with the Jeep. ... K, bye.

Right," she turned her attention back to Castiel. "Gary says they'll make a room up for you."

"You still haven't asked me." Castiel pointed out.

"Asked you what? Oh! Right." Rina pushed her laptop aside and reached across the table to take both of Castiel's hands in hers. And then said, very solemnly, "Steve, will you let me take you to my friends' place? Who, I do promise, will not try to seduce and stab you."

"Ahem." Both looked up at their server. "Um, waffles and pancakes?" Rina let go off Castiel's hands so the plates could be put down. "I also brought you guys some muffins." Rina beamed up at her.

"Thanks so much."

Castiel stared at his pancakes. They smelled wonderful. Normally his breakfast consisted of microwaved oatmeal or the little hard boiled eggs they sold at the store. His stomach protested the wait, the pancakes were there, he was there, why were they not eating them? A hand appeared in his vision, pouring syrup on his pancakes then placing a fork in his hand.

"You're suppose to eat the pancakes, not stare at them."

"I'm not a hunter."

"What?"

Castiel looked up at Rina who had already started on her own food. She paused mid bite, giving Castiel a confused look. "I'm not actually a hunter. You told your friend I was one, but it's not true."

Rina quirked an eyebrow at him then resumed eating. "My bad. I just figured you were one since you didn't seemed to get freaked out by a bunch of vamps crashing your place of business. Oh and you have an angel blade, which you claim to have found. You maintained your cool when said vamps tried their very hardest to kill us. And you seem to have some Enochian tattooed on your side to keep angels from finding you."

"You can read Enochian?"

Rina ignored the question. "So if you're not a hunter then you're the most hunter-like civilian I've ever met. Now eat your pancakes before I decide to start force feeding you."

Castiel complied, and his stomach let it's satisfaction be known. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was until he had practically inhaled half his breakfast before continuing his protests.

"I tried being a hunter once." Rina looked up in interest. "But I was horrible at it. And then I became ... injured, so I'm of no use any more. I'm a liability."

Rina was scowling now.

"It would be in your own best interest to just drop me off somewhere. I am capable of taking care of myself."

Rina had stopped eating and was just glaring at Castiel. Their server came by to see if they needed anything but quickly retreated when she saw the look Rina was giving. Castiel wasn't sure what she was upset about and was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Thank you for the breakfast" he went on, "and the hotel room last night. I really appreciate it. I can ..."

"Who told you that you were a horrible hunter?"

Castiel started at the sudden question. "Ah, what? No ... nobody."

"Uh huh. Is this the same nobody who could care less that you were homeless?"

"He didn't know … it's not like that … He ... I ... It's complicated." He finished lamely. Rina was looking smug. "How did you know?"

"I'm very astute, Steve." She replied with a wink. "My point is that maybe you shouldn't decide what you're capable of based on one person's opinion. Guy sounds like kind of a jerk anyway."

Castiel scowled. "Maybe you shouldn't make assumptions based on a single act." He stabbed his pancakes with more force than was needed. But he couldn't help getting defensive where Dean was concerned. He had to send Castiel away. He had no choice. Those looking for Castiel would stop at nothing to get him. And Dean needed to worry about Sam and getting him better after the trials. Dean didn't need the burden of a former angel on top of that.

He continued eating his breakfast with vicious stabbing and cutting.

"I'm sorry." Castiel paused mid stab at his bacon; Rina was looking quite contrite. "I shouldn't have insulted your friend. Obviously he means a lot to you. And you're right; I shouldn't judge based on one little part of what is obviously a much bigger story. It's just that as soon as I first saw you yesterday in that gas station I was struck with how lost and alone you looked." She shrugged her shoulders. "And I don't know why, but I just want to help you not feel that way. And knowing that there was someone who could have been helping you this whole time? Well I kinda just want to find them and punch them repeatedly in the face. And you're suppose to eat bacon with your fingers, not a fork."

Castiel was taken aback by her revelation. "Why do you care?"

"Well you keep stabbing it with your fork and it's just breaking into littler pieces. And you seem frustrated enough as it is."

"No, I mean why do you care about me feeling lost and alone?"

Rina chewed a piece of sausage thoughtfully. "I don't know. You seem kinda familiar. Like a forgotten friend. You know what I mean?"

Castiel didn't. He could clearly remember everyone he had ever met.

"Plus you've got this sad pitiful look in your eyes that reminds me of a little lost puppy dog that somebody left out in the rain."

Castiel pondered all she had said and all that had happened to him since becoming human. She was right, he was lost. He had no purpose and no direction. He didn't even have a general idea of what he wanted. He'd had his job at the Gas n' Sip. And Nora had told him he could eventually become a supervisor and even a manager someday. And while he had smiled and tried to seem interested in the prospect, inside he had felt empty. He didn't want to be manager of a little convenience store. He wanted to be what he once was. He wanted his grace back. He wanted to spread his wings and soar from one place to another so fast that to humans it seemed instantaneous. He wanted to be able see the soul inside if the woman sitting across from him. He wanted to be able to know who she was, what she was, and her whole history, just by looking. He wanted to be an angel again so that Dean wouldn't feel like he was a burden.

The food that had tasted so good earlier suddenly lost all of its savor. Even the bacon, which he picked up with his fingers, no longer held any appeal.

Rina was finishing her breakfast and trying to look as though she wasn't noticing Castiel's distress. He took the opportunity to study her a little more closely.

Her hair that had looked brown last night turned out to have blonde highlights that only shone in the sun, and a smattering of freckles graced her nose and cheeks. Her eyes were still a familiar shade of green and they darted around the room, noticing everything. She was well toned and tan like someone who spent a lot of time in the sun. Her faded shirt said 'Pink' for some reason even though it was blue. Sitting cross legged on her side of the booth, she was absent mindedly wiggling a foot in time with the music playing over the radio. Her right arm sported a variety of bracelets and a leather cuff with an anti-possession symbol on it.

"Okay."

"Okay you'll come with me?"

"Yes."

Her whole face lit up in a grin. "You won't regret it."

"Going from my own past experiences, I probably will."

"Don't be a downer, Steve."

* * *

><p>Rina loved her Jeep. She had had custom modifications done to it and spent a good solid half hour explaining them to Castiel. It was a deep green with a black exterior frame and roof rack that had more lights than Castiel had ever seen on a vehicle. Four lights were above the windshield with two more down by the mirrors, one on each side and then four more on the heavy duty winch that was mounted to the grill. Things that Rina called Rock Sliders went along the bottom of the vehicle between the wheels. Castiel had just thought they were steps but apparently they were to prevent damage to the vehicle, which had come in handy last night. However, their use as steps was also handy due to the three foot clearance. She talked about how it had "enough torque to pull a tank," and that the winch could "uproot a redwood." Castiel had serious doubts as to the validity of that claim. The dashboard was customized with a touchscreen navigation system, which seemed to do a lot more than navigate. Rina was constantly talking to it to get music, traffic and weather updates and answering any calls she received. She also had a CB radio mounted to the roof for when a cellphone was not an option.<p>

Castiel learned they were heading to Colorado to a mountain town called Woodland Park. This was where Rina's friends Gary and Sheila Brooks lived. Gary had been a hunter in his younger days, but after a close call that left him with a bad limp, he had retired. He'd been out of the life for over a decade when the near apocalypse happened. The ranks of the hunters were significantly reduced, and the problems that followed reduced them even more. Gary decided to come out of retirement to help where he could, mostly offering a place for hunters to stay. But after the death of Bobby Singer, he worked with Garth to try to coordinate and give information. With Garth's disappearance, the tasks transferred squarely to Gary's shoulders.

The trip to Colorado was mostly uneventful. They drove down into Utah then turned east. After stopping for dinner, Rina decided to let Castiel drive. He sat in the driver's seat for a few moments, memorizing where all the knobs and buttons were.

"Are you ever planning on starting the car?"

"Yes. I just wanted to acclimate myself to the vehicle. I've never done this before."

"Never driven a vehicle this big?" Rina sounded a bit nervous.

"No, I've never driven any type of vehicle before." He replied calmly while starting the Jeep.

"WHAT?!"

Castiel pulled smoothly out of the parking lot of the diner and onto the road that lead to the highway. Rina was gripping her arm rest so hard her knuckles had turned white. When they merged onto the highway, a small whimper escaped her lips, and she shut her eyes. But Castiel easily judged the speed and distance of the cars and merged easily into a gap that was sufficiently large. After a few moments, Rina opened one eye, checked the road around them, then leaned over to check all the gages.

"You're doing surprisingly well for someone who's never driven before."

"Well I've seen it done innumerable times. I just haven't had the chance to do it myself until now."

"Oh." She watched him drive for a few moments. "That's very Rain Man of you." Rina didn't seem to know what else to say. She watched him drive for a little while longer but eventually seemed to be comfortable enough with his driving. "I'm gonna get a little sleep. Wake me when we get to Woodland Park." She pulled a blanket and small pillow out from under the seat and made herself comfortable up against the window and closed her eyes. "And please don't wreck my Jeep. I've grown fond of it, ... and you."

"You haven't even know me for a full twenty-four hours."

Rina just gave a little smile.

Castiel drove on into the night as Rina slept. The GPS occasionally told him to do something and he would comply. It was hard to see much scenery, but the headlights lit up cliff faces as they wove through the mountains. Castiel was reminded that this was the state he had landed in after Metatron took his grace. He hadn't really been able to appreciate the scenery then either.

They eventually arrived in Woodland Park. It was a small town set in a mountain pass. Thick forest surrounded the town and gave it a very rustic feel. The different shops that lined the main road were designed to be old-fashioned looking, even some of the newer buildings. Except for one that, for some reason, had two large dinosaurs and a few palm trees out front.

Castiel woke Rina who then took over driving. They left the main road and drove up into one of the more wooded areas. The houses were small and quaint. The road became dirt, and Castiel found himself appreciative of the custom shocks Rina had on her Jeep (which she took the opportunity to point out after a particularly nasty bump). The road lead them farther into the forest and up to a gated fence. Rina pushed a button on a remote she had mounted to her dash and the gate slowly swung open. They drove through and followed the narrow drive to a large log cabin. Rina parked and was about to get out when two large and energetic dogs came bounding up to the vehicle and began excitedly jumping up and down and putting their paws on the windows to see the occupants. Rina was not pleased.

"You dumb dogs! Get off my car! There's a thing of dog treats in the glove box. Grab a few, we're going to have to do this at the same time."

Castiel wasn't sure what she meant but he got a few of the dog treats out. They were shaped to resemble bacon and the moment the dog on his side caught sight of them he began jumping in circles with barely-contained glee. Rina took a treat from Castiel, and the dog on her side went into a similar state of excitement.

"When I roll down the windows, throw the treat as far as you can, then get out fast before they come back. Ready? Go!" As soon as the window was down Castiel threw the treat. The dog raced after it and Castiel took the opportunity to escape. He had just gotten down from the Jeep when the dog was back looking for more. Castiel offered the back of his hand for the dog to sniff. The dog sniffed happily at the hand, getting his scent and checking to make sure there were no more treats. He was a Brittany Spaniel and the other dog, still harassing Rina, was a chocolate Labrador.

"Where are your balls?" Rina called to the dogs. Both dogs took off and came back within a few seconds, each with a well used tennis ball. The balls got dropped at Rina's feet, she scooped them up and flung them as far as she could. The dogs immediately took off running.

"They're harmless," Rina informed him. "They just get excited with visitors."

"Maybe it's cause certain visitors spoil them rotten."

Castiel turned to see an older man walking up to them from the house. He walked with a slight limp and was dressed in a flannel shirt that had been thrown over a plain T-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. "Gary Brooks." He offered Castiel his hand. It was strong and rough with calluses. "You must be Steve."

"Yes."

The dogs came bounding back with their balls, and Rina made to throw them again, but just as the dogs were running off in one direction she quickly spun the other way and chucked both balls. The dogs skidded and bumped into each other

in their haste to change course. They nearly knocked over Castiel and Gary as they sped off to retrieve the balls.

Rina came around to their side of the Jeep, chuckling. She was holding her duffel along with the shopping bag that contained the few toiletries Rina had insisted on picking up for Castiel.

Gary was trying to look annoyed at his dogs' behavior but Castiel could tell he held a lot of affection for the animals.

"Every time those two see a dark colored Jeep they start getting excited. Scared the crap outta my friend James."

They were halfway to the house when the dogs came back. Rina grabbed the balls then turned to Castiel and Gary who were walking behind her. She grinned.

"Don't you dare," Gary warned her, but she just continued grinning and threw the balls right over their heads. This time the dogs did manage to knock over Castiel, who had tried to get out of the way but wasn't fast enough. Rina doubled over in laughter.

"Young lady what do you think you're doing?"

Castiel noticed the immediate change in Rina at the sound of a woman's voice scolding her. She ducked her head and looked a little ashamed. The woman in question had to be Gary's wife Sheila. She looked to be a similar age as her husband and dressed in a terry cloth robe over her nightgown. Standing in the doorway of the house she had her hands on her hips and was leveling Rina with a disapproving look.

"Sorry ma'am." Rina apologized.

Sheila shook her head. "Never known someone to cause so much trouble. How about you stop trying to rile the dogs up so much that they wake up the neighbors."

"Yes ma'am."

Gary had helped Castiel to his feet, a task he was not able to do himself because as soon as he went down the dogs had jumped on him and were attempting to lick him to death.

"Let me show you to your room Steve. We've got you set up in the loft."

Castiel followed Gary into the house. It was large and homey. Pictures lined the walls cataloging a life built together.

Gary led Castiel up two flights of stairs to the loft bedroom. There was a bed with a puffy quilt, a small dresser and a large picture window that Gary told him looked out on the mountains.

"It's one of our smaller rooms but it's comfortable."

"No it's perfect. Thank you."

"I'll let you get settled then. We can get more acquainted in the morning. Good night."

Gary left and Castiel sank onto the soft bed. He hadn't felt tired at all while driving but now a wave of exhaustion swept over him. He was taking off his shoes when there was a knock at the door.

"Are you decent?" Rina swung the door open without waiting for the reply. "Dang it, you are. Oh well. I brought you some clothes." She handed him a small pile. "Hunters stop here all the time, so clothes are always getting left behind. I found you some stuff that will work as PJs and a change of clothes for tomorrow. I'll take you shopping for new clothes tomorrow. No arguments." Rina cut off his protest about her buying him clothes. "I'm buying you clothes even if I have to kidnap you. Now get some sleep; we're going running in the morning."

"We are?"

"Yup. Goodnight Steve."

She closed the door behind her. Castiel found himself smiling. For some reason this strong-willed and kind-of-pushy woman had decided to be his friend. She was, in fact, the first new friend he had made since becoming human. It gave him a warm feeling inside. He fell asleep with the warm feeling keeping the smile on his face.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Tomato Story

**Chapter 4 - The Tomato Story**

_Settle down, it'll all be clear _

_Don't pay no mind to the demons They fill you with fear _

_The trouble—it might drag you down _

_If you get lost, you can always be found J_

_ust know you're not alone_

_'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home_ —Home by Phillip Phillips

* * *

><p>"Morning!"<p>

Castiel nearly fell out of bed in surprise when the door to his room was flung open.

"Darn, still decent."

He blinked blearily up at Rina.

"Get dressed; we're going running. Got to get you in top shape if you want to hunt with me. Here, I found some sneakers for you. Meet me downstairs in five minutes." And with that she was gone again.

Castiel just sighed. He untangled himself from the blankets and pulled the shoes on. He had slept in sweats and a t-shirt. He knew from watching Sam go running many times that this would be an appropriate outfit. Once the shoes were tied, he made his way downstairs. Rina was waiting by the front door. He scowled at her. "Why are you making me do this?"

"Cause it's fun and exercise is an important part of your daily routine. And I get bored when I go by myself. Ready?"

"No."

"Well that's because you haven't stretched."

So they stretched. Then Rina dragged him out the front door. Castiel was by no means in bad shape. He had to walk everywhere he went, after all. But he wasn't in running-at-high-altitude shape. Fortunately, Rina started them out slow, and when Castiel started to feel a bit light headed, she plunked him down with a water bottle and some aspirin. "The aspirin thins the blood, helps compensate for not getting as much oxygen as you're use to." She explained. Then she talked to him about the mountains in Colorado. They pointed out different wildlife to each other and it soon became apparent that they were both very knowledgeable when it came to nature. Once his dizziness passed, they walked back to the house. "Once you get used to the altitude, you'll do better. We'll be in Colorado for at least a week. Gary told me this morning that some hunters in Manitou Springs need some help, so I figured since we're here we could go help out."

Castiel was trying to take deep slow breathes, he was still a bit unsteady after the run. "I told you I'm not a hunter."

"And I told you that I'm not buying it. You just need a few successes under your belt to get some confidence. And you've already defeated a few hydra vampires."

"That still is not a real thing."

"It's a thing."

* * *

><p>Back at the house they were greeted by the smell of bacon cooking. They followed it to the kitchen where Sheila was frying eggs and bacon.<p>

"Are you frying those eggs in the bacon grease?" Rina asked hopefully sitting down at the table.

"Of course," Sheila slid a few eggs onto a plate for Rina, "how else would I fry them?" She handed a plate with eggs to Castiel. "Good morning Steve, how did you sleep?"

"Quite well, thank you." He sat down next to Rina, who piled his plate with bacon and two fresh biscuits. Rina split a biscuit for herself and used it to make an egg and bacon sandwich.

Castiel dug in, he found the run had given him a fierce appetite. He'd had many eggs since becoming human, they were cheap and a good source of protein, but he'd never had them fried in bacon grease. One bite and he was in love. He actually moaned a bit.

"I know, right?" Rina spoke around the bite of sandwich she had just taken. "If you like Sheila's eggs wait until you try her meatloaf."

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Sheila slid a few more eggs onto Castiel's plate as he continued to eat with relish.

After breakfast they helped Sheila clean up a bit. The older woman seemed to command a respect from Rina that Castiel hadn't witnessed in her brash manner before now. Rina was attentive to every instruction the matriarch gave her and even looked slightly repentant when Sheila got after her for teasing Castiel about not knowing how to work a dishwasher. Once everything was cleaned up, they discussed their plans for the day. Rina told Sheila about the hunters that needed help.

"They're really backed up this year," the older woman explained. "Timmy came down with the flu around Halloween, and they haven't been able to catch up since." Noticing the confusion on Castiel's face she explained. "Timmy and Ned live in Manitou Springs full-time; they don't travel around like other hunters. Manitou Springs is the witch capital of the world, you see."

Castiel nodded, "Yes, there is a Devil's Gate near the city which leads to increased metaphysical energies in the surrounding region. "

"Wait, there's a Devil's Gate there? How do you know?"

Castiel thought quickly, trying to figure out how not to give himself away. "Actually it's from an old Comanche legend. Two hunters from neighboring tribes met at a spring and argued, the one killed the other. After the deed was done, the warrior seemed to come back to himself and was horrified by his actions. A being they referred to as the Manitou appeared and killed the murderer and cursed the springs to be tainted and bitter for ever after. However, what really happened was that a demon escaped through the Devil's Gate, possessed one of the hunters and killed the other. An angel was nearby and sensed the demon and came to see what had happened. When the demon saw the angel it fled. The hunter was horrified by what had happened and agreed to sacrifice himself in order to seal the Devil's Gate. The taint of the spring is actually due to the high salt and iron content that prevents any demons or spirits from slipping through."

Rina and Sheila had been staring at him with mixed looks of interest and awe as he recounted the tale. He shifted nervously; maybe he had said too much. But then Rina was grinning at him. "And you claim you're not a hunter."

"Well," Sheila continued, eyeing Castiel, "it's also home to the largest witches' coven in the world, so, as you can imagine, a lot of problems arise: witches going rouge, revenge spells, that sort of stuff. In the past, the coven has taken care of the problems themselves and chased off any hunters that came close. But about 10 years ago, a new leader of the coven came into power, and he decided that it would actually be useful to have a few hunters on the payroll. All that magic flying around attracts creatures, and with the internet spreading the news about Manitou, they have been getting a lot of tourism just for witchcraft."

"So the hunters that live there hunt the creatures but not the witches?"

Rina nodded. "It frees the members of the coven up to take care of all the witchy stuff. And the hunters there are also in charge of making sure no one else comes to bother the coven."

"And Halloween tends to be the busiest time of year for them because of the tourism," Sheila went on. "Actually, Salem, Massachusetts has the same problem, so they also have some resident hunters. Unfortunately, as I said, Timmy got sick so they have been backlogged. Gary went down last week to help out with a few simple salt-and-burns, but it wasn't enough, I guess."

"Whoa, they actually let you get rid of their ghosts?" Rina turned to Castiel. "They love their ghosts."

"These were a few new ones that got conjured somehow."

"Ok, we can head out this afternoon. I wanted to get Steve some new clothes."

"You really don't-"

He was silenced by a hand in his face.

"Don't want to hear it. I owe you new clothes." Castiel heaved a sigh, something he had been doing a lot lately. Rina ignored him. "Do you still need help with the chicken coop Sheila?" Rina went on ignoring the sigh.

"I would really appreciate it. The last snow storm caved the roof in."

Rina and Castiel followed Sheila out to the chicken coop. A dozen chickens were scratching in the dirt trying to find any bugs that might still be around. They were Rhode Island Reds, a good chicken for egg production, Castiel knew. Behind the chicken coop was a corral that contained several alpacas and goats.

Castiel looked at them in interest. "You have goats and alpacas, too?"

"Yup, raise the goats for their milk, and the alpacas for their fiber. Keeps me and Gary busy."

"Where is Gary?" Asked Rina.

"In the barn. One of our goats got attacked by a coyote; she survived but has a bad wound on her side."

Castiel was already heading for the barn that Sheila had pointed out. Inside he heard the plaintive bleats of a distressed goat. He found Gary inside one of the smaller stalls trying to calm down the injured goat.

"Would you like some help?" Castiel asked.

Gary squinted up at him. "Do you know anything about goats?"

"Quite a bit actually. I've, um, worked with them before."

"Well then, I'd appreciate the help."

Castiel came into the stall. "I can hold her still while you change the bandages." He sat down on the straw cross-legged and eased the goat into his lap. He wrapped one arm around her hind quarters and the other he used to trap her front legs. He positioned her so that her head was off to the side and his arm and shoulder were blocking her view of Gary.

He then whispered a few calming words in Enochian. The little goat stopped her struggles and settled down in Castiel's grip.

Gary shook his head in amazement. "Guess I'm lucky my house guest seems to be a goat whisperer."

"It's not the volume of your voice that matters, more what you say," Castiel informed him.

Gary chuckled, then got to work replacing the bandages. The wound was deep but had been stitched shut. Gary carefully applied some antibiotic ointment to it, then bandaged it back up.

"What's her name?"

"Buttercup, on account of the fact that if she even smells butter, she'll come racing." Gary finished up securing the bandages. Buttercup waited patiently in Castiel's arms until it was finished. Once Gary was done, Castiel spoke a few more words to her, then let her go. Instead of jumping away as quickly as possible, she lay on Castiel's lap for a few moments before calmly getting up. Even then, she just repositioned herself to sit down next to him.

Gary chuckled, "I think she's taken to you."

Castiel rubbed her behind the ears. "She is a very gently creature."

Gary handed him a dried date and a large pill. "Here, I'll let you keep being the good guy. Stuff the pill in the date and give it to her. It's her antibiotic; I always wait till I'm done with the bandages before giving it to her. A treat for suffering through."

As soon as Castiel took the date, Buttercup leapt up into his lap trying to get to the treat. He quickly stuffed the pill inside the hollowed-out fruit and gave it to her. She gulped it down and kept looking for more. When she couldn't find another, she switched to trying to chew the button off his shirt. "No, no." He chastised her. "They may seem tasty now, but I assure you they will give you no nourishment and quite possibly may result in stomach pains." He gently pushed her off his lap and stood up. He and Gary left the barn with the goat trailing dutifully behind Castiel. At the chicken coop, Rina was holding up a large sheet of corrugated steel on top of the coop while Sheila nailed it in place. Rina noticed the goat right away.

"Awww, you have a new friend."

"Your friend Steve here is a natural with goats." Gary explained. He turned to Castiel, "Tell me, do you know anything about alpacas?"

Castiel nodded. "I know that there are two breeds of alpaca: the Suri alpaca and the Huacaya alpaca. Both are valued for their fiber that is used to make many textiles. They were not bred to be beasts of burden like llamas were. And they are quite at home in high elevations. This is due to the fact that they graze in the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of 11,500 ft. to 16,000 ft.-"

"Ok, ok, I'm sold. Come with me."

"You can't keep him, I found him first." Rina called after them as Castiel followed Gary to where the alpacas were grazing, the little goat trotting along happily behind.

* * *

><p>Castiel spent the rest of the morning helping Gary with the feeding and tending of the animals. The two chatted about proper hoof care for alpacas and goats and what sorts of food made goat's milk taste the sweetest. They eventually<p>

came in for lunch; Rina and Shelia had already finished the chicken coop and were making BLTs for everyone. Castiel sat down with Gary at the table while they waited for everything to be finished. Rina had placed a large stack of sandwiches on the table, and Castiel kept eyeing them hungrily. He'd had a big breakfast but the farm work had given him a renewed appetite. The smell of the food seemed intoxicating, and his hands twitched towards the plate several times before he folded them in his lap. He had learned the hard way that people got upset if you grabbed for the food first. Suddenly he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Gary regarding him kindly.

"The girls will be done making the food soon. There will be plenty for everyone." He gave Castiel's shoulder a squeeze and added softly, "I promise you won't go hungry."

Castiel felt his face turning hot and he dropped his gaze down to his hands. He stole a quick glance at Rina, but she was still busy making lemonade.

Gary cleared his throat and spoke up loudly. "Say Steve, did Rina tell you how I got into hunting?"

Castiel noticed Shelia looking at her husband with concern, but Gary just gave her a slight nod, and she turned back to the salad she was putting together. He then realized Gary was looking at him, waiting for a response. "Um, no, no she didn't." He was still feeling very uncomfortable about being caught obsessing over some sandwiches.

"It happened when I was in Vietnam," Gary began to explain. "Got captured by the enemy and was held prisoner for almost six months before escaping. It was the worst time of my life; any POW will tell you that of course, but my experience was a little different. Two of the guards in charge of us where very vicious. You could tell they found great pleasure in inflicting pain. One day while they were having their fun with me and my buddy, I thought I saw their eyes turn black." Castiel nodded in understanding. "Demons are attracted to conflict. You can always find large groups of them on both sides in a war. And often they are the ones who started the war in the first place."

"Are you trying to tell us that Hitler was a demon?" Rina asked.

"No. His closest friends were, though."

"Aaanyway, I didn't know anything about the supernatural at the time, so I thought I was finally going crazy from being imprisoned so long. But then my friend confided in me later that he had seen their eyes turn black, too. Another prisoner had overheard us. He came from a family of hunters and explained to us what a demon was. It was actually that knowledge that lead to our escape. When you can take out two of your guards with some salt and a cup of water you had dipped a rosary in, it became a lot easier to get away."

Shelia brought the salad over to the table and sat down. "After the war was over, Gary got back in touch with the guy who helped them escape and learned how to become a hunter. I thought he was crazy when he tried to explain everything to me. That was until I went along with him on a hunt and saw my first ghost."

Rina brought over the lemonade and everyone began helping themselves to the food. Rina was seated next to Castiel, and when she noticed he was hesitating to take any food, she grabbed his plate and loaded it up with salad and a sandwich.

Gary smiled at his wife. "I sure was lucky to have you. I had a lot of issues to deal with, not just about demons either. I think the worst was actually the starvation. When I got home I was still undernourished and I kept obsessing about food. Worried we'd run out, always checking the cupboards to make sure they were full. I'd eat a big meal but within an hour I'd be snacking. Drove you crazy."

"The breaking point was the tomatoes."

"Tomatoes?" Rina looked puzzled.

"I let Gary come grocery shopping with me." Shelia explained. "I thought maybe if he saw how much food was available and that we could easily afford what we needed, he wouldn't worry. But while I was picking out tomatoes, he snapped at me for being so choosy and I should just be thankful we had tomatoes at all."

Gary cringed at the memory, but Castiel understood. There had been many times he had found himself getting upset at customers at the Gas n' Sip for being too choosy or complaining about a limited selection. He felt they should just be grateful for the food and not be picky.

"When we got home," Shelia continued, "I sat him down and had a good heart-to-heart. I told him how his attitude was affecting me, and he explained how he still had nightmares about not being able to eat."

Oh. That was why Gary had told him there would be enough food. He wasn't trying to get after him for wanting to grab the food; he was trying to reassure him because he recognized what Castiel was going through. So often while being homeless Castiel had suffered hunger. He'd had no idea how truly awful it could be. You started off with just small pains in your stomach, but they grew until all you could think about was finding something to eat. Eventually the pains faded to just a dull ache and you thought maybe it wasn't so bad not having enough to eat. But the human body was meant to be constantly nourished. Castiel had slowly noticed his hair becoming dull and his fingernails grew brittle. He had known that it was his mortal body trying to conserve energy for the most vital functions. However, he had not expected how much being hungry would affect his mood. He had been irritable and subject to horrible mood swings. Once he got the job at Gas n' Sip, he had begun to eat regularly again and eventually his body seemed to level out and be ok with the meager meals he had.

"How did you get into hunting, Steve?"

Castiel looked up at Shelia who had asked the question. He gave himself a little mental shake and tried to focus on the conversation around him. "I'm not actually a hunter."

"Oh, I thought Rina had said you were."

"That's because he is. You are." Rina stabbed her salad fork towards him to emphasis her statement.

Shelia glanced between the two. Castiel who was looking frustrated and Rina who seemed to want to destroy her salad by how hard she was stabbing it. "I'm confused, why is this up for debate?"

Castiel sighed. "I tried to be a hunter but I wasn't any good at it."

"Don't listen to him. He took out a couple of Hydra vampires by himself."

"What's a Hydra vampire?" Gary was looking just as confused as his wife now.

* * *

><p>"You're doing it again."<p>

Rina and Castiel had offered to clean up lunch so Gary and Shelia could visit a friend down the street.

"Doing what?" Rina asked in response to Castiel's accusation.

"Assuming I'm going to go along with you without even asking me if I want to."

"Oh, oops." Rina pulled her hands out of the sudsy water she was washing the pans in. Without drying them off, she placed one hand on each side of Castiel's face. Soapy water dripped down his cheeks and neck, but he found himself having to suppress a chuckle. "Steve," Rina began solemnly, "Will you allow me the pleasure of your company in a trip to the witchcraft capitol of the world? And furthermore, will you assist me as I endeavor to help our comrades-in-arms deal with spirits and perhaps, if we are lucky, a poltergeist? And will you stand by me as I make snarky remarks to any witch that happens to come into our presence?"

"You're already planning on making snarky remarks to any witches who happen to come into our presence?"

"Yay, verily."

This time he couldn't keep the chuckle in, and when Rina heard it, she grinned with the knowledge that she had won.

"Yes, I will go with you."

"Yay!" He suddenly found himself receiving a very enthusiastic, and soapy, hug. "I'm almost done with the pans. We'll head out after that. And dude, you should go clean up; you're all wet and soapy."

* * *

><p>Castiel grabbed the few things from his room. Rina had found him a duffel bag and a new shirt that was not wet from dishwater. He put his angel blade in it along with the pants he had been wearing when he first met Rina (the shirt had just been thrown away). Shelia had washed them for him, and she must have some secret method for getting blood and dirt stains out because there wasn't a mark on them.<p>

He met Rina out front by her Jeep where she was playing catch with the dogs again. He heard an excited bleat and looked over to the fence to see Buttercup staring at him. He deposited his bag in the back of the Jeep, then went over to pet the goat. He had found some raisins in the house and he pulled out a handful for her, which she happily accepted.

"We're not bringing her with us," Rina said from behind him. He looked up at her.

"Well we're not bringing the dogs either." He shot back, grinning. The dogs in question had just come racing back to Rina, dropping two slobbery balls at her feet. She regarded the damp spheres for a moment before scooping them up.

"Ok, here's the plan. You throw the raisins to the opposite end of the pen. At the same time, I will throw the balls over the chicken coop, then we both run like little scared bunnies to the Jeep, and we blow this popsicle stand. Got it?"

"Why are we running like bunnies. And what popsicle stand?"

"No, I just mean we run all-out to the car."

"Oh, I see." pause "Where is the popsicle stand?"

"Nevermind about the popsicle stand! Let's just go." She turned and threw the balls, they soared over the chicken coop and out of sight. The dogs took off after them. Castiel dumped the rest of the raisins next to Buttercup, since she was inside a fenced area, he didn't see the need to distract her in order to get away. He did, however, run over to the jeep and jump in. The dogs came charging back, but they were smart enough to know to stay away from a moving vehicle. Rina pulled out of the driveway and headed down the dirt road towards town. They passed Shelia and Gary, who were walking back home. Rina stopped and rolled down Castiel's window so Gary could lean in.

"Just got a call from Timmy; looks like things are getting worse. They're not sure if there is a reason for it or just bad luck."

Rina frowned. "When has it ever just been bad luck?"

"Very true. Keep us posted. I can always try to get some more help heading their way."

Shelia poked her head around Gary's elbow. "Find out if Timmy and Ned are planning on coming to Thanksgiving next week."

"Will do."

The couple stepped back from the Jeep and waved as Castiel and Rina pulled away.

"Thanksgiving."

"What about it?" Rina asked.

"I forgot about it. I've never paid much attention to the various holidays before."

"Common problem with hunters. The monsters don't take a holiday so neither do we. But Sheila insists on doing the full traditional dinner and ropes as many people into coming as she can. That will include you, by the way."

"I don't want to impose." The couple had already shown him so much hospitality.

"Oh no, you're coming. I show up to dinner without you and Sheila will have my head. And then she will make me go find you and bring you back. Which would be kinda hard to do without a head."

"You're very dramatic."

"It's one of my charms."

* * *

><p><em>Author note-<em>

_I'm so grateful for all of the wonderful comments I have received. I was a little nervous putting this story out there because it is my first fanfic. I'm glad so many of you are enjoying it._

_The legend of Manitou Springs is a real thing, minus the angel and demon of course. :) And the tomato story is taken from the book A Distant Prayer by Joseph Banks. It is the true story of his experience being shot-down during WW II and kept as a POW._

_**One important note:** Perhaps you have noticed how wonderful the punctuation and grammar is in my story? The lack of typos and the proper use of ellipses and em dashes? This is due to my wonderful editor who takes time out of her day to review this story and fix my many mistakes. Unfortunately she is also in college right now so she can only do about one chapter a week. So I was wondering how you guys would feel about me posting unedited chapters? Most of the mistakes I make are pretty small (except for the one time I put Colorado west of Utah), so unless you are a grammar and punctuation nazi you probably won't notice. This would allow me to post more chapters and keep the story going without over taxing my friend. And as she is able to edit the chapters I would update them with the corrections._

_So let me know, Yay or Nay?_

_And once again, thanks for reading. -JJ_


	5. Chapter 5 - Castiel Gets Some Action

_Warning! This chapter has not been gone through with a fine tooth comb by my editor. There will be mistakes. And no, I don't want them all pointed out to me in the comments. That is why I have an editor. I will update with the edited chapter when it is ready. In the mean time, enjoy! JJ_

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 5 - Castiel Gets Some Action<strong>

_That old black magic has me in its spell,_

_That old black magic that you weave so well, _

_Those icy fingers up and down my spine,_

_ The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine_

-That Old Black Magic by Frank Sinatra

The drive down the mountain was beautiful. The highway wound it's way through a canyon. Cliffs of dusty red rocks lined the side of the road. Occasionally the beauty was marred by trees that had been burned in a fire. Rina explained that there had been a forest fire the previous year that had torn through the canyon. It made Castiel sad, thinking of the once proud and ancient forest burned and scarred this way.

They drove past Manitou Springs and straight into the much larger city of Colorado Springs. Rina headed towards the nearest mall and dragged Castiel from store to store getting him new clothes. No matter how many times he told her he

had enough she just kept finding more items of clothing that she felt he had to have. Finally Rina decided he had enough regular clothes, and it was time for him to get "suited up". They went into the nearest department store and found the suit department, but for some reason Rina had them circle it instead of going in. She observed the sales associates for a few moments then shook her head and lead Castiel out of the store. They went into the next department store, Rina repeated her odd behavior, and they left the store without a suit. Castiel was completely perplexed.

Finally, when they were leaving the third store, he couldn't take it anymore. "Why aren't we going to get a suit?"

"We're doing reconnaissance." Rina confided in a whisper. "The best way to go suit shopping is to find the best dressed sales associate."

"They're all dressed nice." He observed.

"Exactly, we want the one who has gone above and beyond." They went into another store and Castiel began to wonder if they were ever going to get a suit before the mall closed.

"Ah ha!" Rina had stopped mid stalking and zeroed in on one sales associate.

Castiel had to admit that even he could tell that the tall, slim African-American man before them had defiantly gone "above and beyond." He was dressed in tailored grey slacks with a matching vest. His dress shirt was a pale green and the tie silver. Not a wrinkle to be seen anywhere. Even his hair and beard were perfectly trimmed.

Rina was dragging Castiel over to the man with a look of determination and Castiel suddenly worried what she would do if another customer tried to get the man's help. Fortunately, they were the only ones in the department, and the man smiled and listened as Rina explained what was needed. Then Castiel found himself being shoved into a dressing room with several suits to try on. He had to come out to show each one to Rina and the man, turned out his name was Sam, who would then discuss the pros and cons of each suit before sending Castiel back to try on the next one. At one point Rina was looking him over, her head tilted to the side.

"Nice ass. Pants," she quickly amended, "I meant to say pants." But she did not look repentant at all.

Sam the sales associate was trying to hide his grin. Castiel just wished there was a way to keep himself from blushing.

Finally a suit was decided on, and Castiel sighed in relief. It was short lived, however, when Rina and Sam the sales associate began holding ties up to his chest. He endured this for another ten minutes until three ties, that looked the same to him, had been chosen.

By the time everything had been packaged up and paid for Castiel's stomach was rumbling its annoyance at being denied food. So they took the bags to the car and headed out for dinner.

Rina took him to her favorite steakhouse in the city. Castiel had no idea what to order so ended up letting Rina choose for him. She ordered them each a porterhouse with a loaded baked potato as the side. After taking their order, the server returned a few minutes later with an appetizer that was on the house. Castiel had begun to notice this theme with Rina, people liked to give her things. Usually food but there was a pair of cuff links to go with Castiel's new suit, compliments of Sam the sales associate.

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><p>After dinner they drove back to Manitou. It was similar to Woodland Park, but there were a lot more small shops and restaurants along the main road including ones that had supplies for wiccans. Castiel noticed the small sign on one of the shops that advertised they sold to hunters. Timmy and Ned's house was just off the main road. Rina pulled her big jeep into the small drive way. Castiel saw a young man, who looked to be in his early twenties, with his blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, coming out of the house to meet them.<p>

"What did you do drive the long way around Pikes Peak to get here?" He huffed in annoyance when Rina opened her door.

Rina just rolled her eyes. "Steve meet Ned. Ned, Steve."

Ned eyed Castiel. "Are you a hunter?"

"Yes!" Rina shot out quickly. "Yes he is." She pointed a finger in warning. Castiel just let it go.

Ned looked between Rina and Castiel then turned and stalked back to the house. "You know what I don't even care. Just get in here so we can update you on the situation."

Rina grabbed her duffle from the back and tossed Castiel his. "Come on before he really gets huffy."

He caught the duffel and followed Rina into the little house. Inside it looked like someone had taken an entire armory and spread it across every available surface. Ned had a box full of empty shotgun shells and was using a press to refill them with salt. Castiel could see a red haired young man, he looked to be in his late teens, hunkered over the kitchen table and talking hurriedly into his phone.

"So what's all the fuss about?" Rina flopped down on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table. Castiel was again hit with a wave of familiarity. In his mind he could see Dean in the exact same position. Except he was pretty sure that none of Dean's boots had a flower design on them.

"Long story short," Ned didn't even look up from what he was doing. "Everything is going to hell. Spirits keep popping up every where. Ones we've never even seen before."

Rina frowned. "Has this ever happened before?"

"Not on this scale. Had a few problems during the almost Apocalypse but it was with spirits we'd seen before getting restless. This time we are seeing new ghosts that haven't been recorded before. And lately they've been people who have no business being ghosts. Just yesterday I had to deal with the ghost of an old lady who died at 83, in bed, surrounded by her loved ones."

"So do you want us to go salt-and-burn all these new ghosts?"

"You'd have to salt-and-burn over half the cemetery." The other young man had gotten off the phone and joined the conversation.

"We'd need a backhoe for sure." Rina advised.

"I'm pretty sure people would notice." The young man turned to Castiel. "Hey, I'm Timmy."

"Steve."

"How'd you get mixed up with Rina?"

"Hey!"

"It was through a series of events that were beyond my control."

"That's how it usually happens."

"I'm right here you two."

Timmy flopped down on the couch next to her. "I see that. It's about time too. Did you take the long way around Pikes Peak?"

"Ned already used that joke." Rina replied dryly.

"Ned stop stealing my material."

Ned just rolled his eyes and kept making salt rounds. "He's the cranky one." Timmy told Castiel.

"So if we're not here to salt and burn a bunch of ghost what do you want us to do?" Rina asked.

"Ah, yeah, we were hoping you might have some ideas about what's happening and how to stop it." Timmy admitted.

Rina frowned. "Anything happening beside a bunch if ghosts appearing?"

At this Ned raised his head and joined the conversation. "A lot of the wards around the city have been weakened. But when they are inspected no damage can be found."

Timmy nodded his agreement. "It's kinda like they're just running low on juice. But I didn't think that could happen with wards. They either work or they don't."

Rina looked troubled but nodded. "No, you're right."

"Unless there is something very powerful draining them." Everyone turned to look at Castiel who had positioned himself up against a wall. "Or I should say not quite powerful yet, but draining energy from wards to get more powerful."

Timmy and Ned looked confused but Rina sat up, eyes suddenly wide in realization. "Of course. It would explain the ghosts too. Stir up enough spirits in one area and you'd get a lot of paranormal energies flying around waiting to be gobbled up."

Ned and Timmy shared a confused glance.

"Have people been complaining of amulets and talisman not working as well?" Castiel asked.

"Good point." Rina put in.

"Um, I don't know. We could ask around." Timmy responded.

"Would one of you like to explain what you're talking about," Ned stopped what he was doing to glare at Rina and Castiel, "Do you know what is causing all this?"

"Well there is no way to know until a full investigation is done. But I imagine the list has to be rather short."

"What Steve means," Rina interrupted. "Is that we have an idea about what sort of thing could cause this but as to what it actually is, we have no clue."

"So what sort of thing is causing this," Ned was beginning to lose his patience, "and how do we stop it?"

"It's probably someone that was trapped and powered down at some point in the past. And now they're using all of the ambient energies in the city to recharge themselves to full power." Rina explained. "And as Steve said the list has to be pretty short because its actually not all that common of an occurrence."

"What do you mean? Things get trapped all the time. Heck, Ned and I have trapped a few nasties ourselves."

"But were you able to strip them of their power? To the point that even if they got free they would not be able to regain their powers?"

Timmy frowned at Castiel's question "No I guess not."

"That's because it's a very rare occurrence." Castiel explained. "Most beings can't be completely stripped of their power if they were created or born with it. It's as much a part of them as your nervous system is part of you."

Ned scowled. "But I've heard of angels having their grace removed. Didn't that power them down?"

Rina jumped in. "Yeah, you can separate an angel from its grace but the grace still has power. All the angel has to do is get their grace back and they're as good as new."

Nobody noticed Castiel's uncomfortable expression.

"What we're talking about is actually completely dissolving a things power so that they have to go get more. It's something that can only happen to a human." Rina went on.

"I don't get it." Timmy sighed.

"It is the idea that you cannot change the inherent properties of matter. It can be manipulated and changed but at its core it will always be the same. So a being that once was human can be changed back to human by removing the power or the taint that has caused the change. It is why vampires and demons can be cured." Castiel said.

"Wait, demons can be cured?" Ned asked.

"Yes, a priest discovered how to-" Castiel started, ready to launch into the dynamics of curing a demon to prove his point.

"Let's not get off topic Steve," Rina interrupted.

"I'm still confused," Timmy said.

"Maybe an analogy?" Rina scanned the room. "Ah ha!" She jumped up and grabbed a flashlight off the table. "Ok, so let's say this flashlight is some sort of supernatural entity that was born or created with its powers. If you want to make it powerless you have to remove the power source." She unscrewed the bottom and let the batteries fall out. "So now our supernatural flashlight no longer has power." She flicked it on and off to demonstrate. "But it's still a flashlight, just without its juice. All the flashlight has to do is get its batteries back." She popped the batteries back in and turned the flashlight back on. "Now as far as a human getting power it's like a cotton T-shirt. Cotton in its natural state is white, right?" Timmy nodded. "If you want to make it a different color you have to add dye to it. Now you have a colorful powered up T-shirt. But if you want to change it back to white, maybe because the colorful powered up T-shirt is causing some problems in your closet. All you have to do is use some bleach to remove the dye permanently from the fabric. Then if the uppity shirt wants to get its color back it has to go get all new dye because the dye from before can't be gotten back, it's gone forever." She looked at Castiel for agreement.

"That does explain it in its most juvenile form."

"Well I'm talking to juvenile people." Rina sniffed.

Ned rolled his eyes but Timmy was too caught up in understanding the analogy. "So what you're saying is we have an uppity T-shirt in town that's trying to get its color back by sucking the color out of wards and the energies given off by ghosts?"

Rina flopped back down on the couch next to him. "Yes."

"Soo ... What do we do? Get some more of the power zapping bleach?" Timmy asked

"Well first we have to find out who it is and who's helping them." Rina said.

"What makes you think someone's helping it?" Ned asked.

"Because bleached out T-shirts can't go get dye on their own." Rina responded.

"Can we drop the T-shirt analogy?" Ned complained.

"Probably not," Rina admitted, "I've grown fond of it. Oh I have a great idea, new code word for witches; colored T-shirts!" She wiggled her eyebrows and grinned. "Who's with me, Steve?"

"Why would we need a code word for witches?"

"I'm sure I'll find a reason."

Ned grumbled something under his breath about certain annoying female hunters.

"In the mean time," Rina continued, "we should try to keep all the ghosts in the cemetery so the whoever-it-is can't feed off their energy. Got any ideas Steve?"

Rina was looking at him expectantly.

"We can ward the entire cemetery so the ghosts are trapped inside." Castiel decided after a moments thought.

Ned snorted. "There are no wards that can keep ghosts in a cemetery."

"Yes there are." Rina and Castiel shot back in unison. Rina smiled and winked at Castiel.

"Then why doesn't every cemetery in the world have these wards?" Ned asked.

"Because the knowledge was lost a long, long time ago." Rina answered Ned. "And actually if you go to some of the more ancient mausoleums in Europe they are warded."

"But what would keep the colored T-shirt from just sucking the energy out of these wards?" Timmy asked, still looking a little confused.

"They are Enochian wards," Castiel explained, "their energy cannot be drained."

Ned looked at his visitors with obvious doubt. "So this is ancient knowledge that's been lost but you two just happen to know it?"

"It's cause we're so awesome." Rina replied.

Ned had a good point though, Castiel realized. He knew about the wards because angels knew all of the different wards and spells. But how did Rina know it? A sudden thought sent a chill through his whole body.

What if Rina was an angel?

It would explain her strength and knowledge. Though she didn't really act like an angel. Well, unless she was like Balthazar or Gabriel. What were the odds of that though? Both angels had been literally one in a billion. Could Rina be an angel that had fallen to earth long ago and acclimated? He thought it over for a moment and realized there were to many holes in this theory. One of the biggest being Castiel had noticed that Rina seemed to be ravenously hungry half the time and was always looking for snacks.

"What do you say Steve?"

Castiel looked at Rina who was looking back expectantly. Actually everyone was looking at him.

"Um, what?"

There was a slight down turn of Rina's mouth as if she was concerned about something. "Are you ok going with Timmy to set up the wards?"

"Yes I can do that."

Rina still looked concerned.

Timmy jump up from the couch. "Great I'll get my gear and meet you at the car."

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><p>Outside Rina was going through the back of the Jeep for supplies with Castiel. She pulled out a lockbox, scanned her fingerprint, and opened it up to reveal several handguns.<p>

"What's your pleasure?"

"Excuse me?"

"Which gun do you want?" She swept a hand across them.

"I've never fired a pistol before."

Rina stopped and stared at him for a moment. "But you know how to use a shotgun."

"Yes."

Rina looked like she was pondering this information. "So you've only ever used a shotgun the entire time you've been a hunter?"

"Yes, although," he added after a moments thought, "I'd only ever used one once, before the other night."

"Just once?" Rina asked

"Yes, otherwise I've always used my angel blade or ... um other weapons at my disposal."

Rina had a pained expression on her face. "Are you telling me that before last night you'd only fired a gun once before. Yet you still decided to fire one from a moving vehicle at another moving vehicle.

"Yes, though you're right, I did have to adjust for the velocity of each vehicle," he shrugged his shoulders, "it wasn't that much more difficult."

"I see. Just like learning to drive a car just by watching it done isn't that difficult."

Castiel brightened, "Exactly." He was glad Rina understood.

Rina pinched the bridge of her nose. "Steve you've either got to start telling me this stuff before you do it or just never tell me at all."

His face fell and he glanced off to the side. "Oh." He had done something wrong. Something that pointed out that he was different. That he didn't belong.

Rina must have seen his look. She reached up and placed her hand on his arm. "Hey,"

He looked back at her. She had taken a small step closer. Her hand was warm on his arm and he could faintly smell jasmine.

"Sorry I keep forgetting that you take things very literally."

"I'm not good at detecting sarcasm."

Rina looked at him fondly. "It's one of your charms." She dropped her hand and Castiel immediately missed the warmth of the touch. "Let's get you a shotgun with salt rounds. And do you want another blade?"

Castiel thought she was asking if he wanted another angel blade until she opened a case to show a variety of knives and blades. He immediately spotted the twin short blades she had used against the vampires, as well a bronze dagger from Babylon, and, "Is that a demon blade?"

"Yup," she picked it up and pulled it out of its sheath. It was almost identical to the one Dean and Sam had, except this one had markings on the handle that blessed the holder with a sure grip. And it looked new instead of like an ancient relic.

"Where did you get it?" Castiel asked disbelieving that there were two in the world.

"Oh, a friend of mine made it for me." Rina shrugged like it was no big deal that a friend of hers had made managed to make a very rare blade, the knowledge of how to make said blade having been lost long ago.

Then Castiel spotted something even more remarkable.

This blade was wrapped in soft cloth but Castiel could see the handle poking out. He carefully reached out and pulled it free. It was an Archangel's blade. Castiel inspected it reverently. Enochian symbols had been etched deep into the blade that would expel a demon or angel from a vessel if they were stabbed with the blade. It was done with such skill that the injury would not have to be fatal to the human who was being possessed. As Castiel turned the blade in his hand he felt another etching on the blade, this one looked older and was not in Enochian. It was Nordic runes that represented the trickster god Loki.

"How?" He whispered.

"It took a long time to find." Rina admitted. "Angel blades are easy but an Archangel's blade." She shook her head. "I finally hunted down a crossroads demon and traded for information." She took the blade from his hands. "The Enochian will only work with the Archangel blade because they have special properties that allow them to be manipulated more."

"But," Castiel started. He was overwhelmed with the discovery. He took a deep breath and tried again. "I've never seen any angel blade inscribed."

Rina placed the blade back in its spot. Castiel had to resist the urge to take it again. It had felt warm and comforting in his hand.

"I did the inscriptions myself. Well except for the runes. Those were on the blade when I got it."

Castiel was floored by this latest revelation. "No one but the forgers of heaven can mold or change an angel blade." He paused and another thought struck him. "Or Hell fire."

Rina raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me if I'm a demon?"

"It would make sense. It would explain you're strength and knowledge."

"As well as my complete disregard for authority," she added with a wink. "Hey Timmy!" Timmy was at his car throwing a few things into the trunk. He looked over when Rina yelled his name.

"What?"

"Wasn't demon one of your theories?"

Timmy tried to look nonchalant. "What theories?"

"The ones about what I am."

"Not sure what you mean. We don't have any theories."

"You also have a betting pool going."

Timmy snorted. "Well that's just insane that you would think that."

Rina listened to Timmy's protests with a bemused smile.

"I mean," Timmy continued, "if there were theories Ned and I would never get involved in that sort of thing. Cause you're our friend and we trust you."

Rina rolled her eyes. "Fine, hypothetically if there were theories and one of them was demon. Do you suppose someone may have tested the theory?"

"Er, probably. Maybe someone might, hypothetically, test it by slipping you some holy water."

"And," Rina prompted.

"And the only result would probably be you asking why your water tasted stale." Timmy scuffed the ground and scanned the area, maybe looking for an escape route. "Not that anyone would ever even think to accuse you of being a demon.

Cause that would just be ridiculous. Ned! Hey man! Ready to go?" Ned had just come out of the house and froze in confusion at the exuberant greeting from Timmy.

"Uh .. Yeah?"

"Great! Rina's ready too. Come on Steve your with me." Timmy slammed the trunk shut on his car and hurried into the driver's seat.

Castiel turned back to Rina who was laughing at Timmy's apparent discomfort.

"Now you know I'm not a demon."

Castiel scowled at her, "Yes, so what are you actually? Because you're not entirely human either."

"Well I'm not entirely sure you are entirely human either." Rina deflected. She pulled out a sawed off shotgun and handed it to Castiel. "Try not to shoot Timmy in the face, accidentally or intentionally. Come on Ned, let's get this rodeo underway." She closed the back of the Jeep, went over to where Ned was still looking a little confused, grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the Jeep.

Castiel jumped when Timmy blared his car horn. Looking over he saw the young man frantically waving for Castiel to get in the car. He glanced back at Rina one more time, she was ignoring him, before going over to Timmy's car and got in. Timmy pulled out of the driveway and out onto the main road. Once they were on their way he heaved a sigh of relief.

"Man, how did she find out about the betting pool?" He asked.

Castiel was a little confused. "You said there wasn't a betting pool."

"Of course I said that. Have you met Rina?"

Now he was very confused. "Yes, she is the one who introduced me to you." He studied Timmy with concern, "Do you suffer from memory problems?"

"What? No. I meant anyone who knows her knows you don't want to get on her bad side. Which is why we keep the betting pool a secret. Or we thought we were keeping it a secret," he added glumly.

"I see, you lied because you're scared of Rina. And you're wondering if I share that fear?"

"Well yeah, doesn't everybody fear her. She's kinda insane don't you think?"

"Having personal experience with insanity I can say emphatically that she is quite sane. Very odd and difficult to understand at times, but not insane. And no, I don't find her scary. I have dealt with things that have no conscious and want only to destroy everything and everyone. Those things are scary. Rina maybe something other than human, but she has a good heart. So no, not scary."

"Huh. Guess I never thought about it like that."

"So what are some of the theories," Castiel asked.

"Oh, well there was demon but we've dismissed that one. Another hunter who came through wondered if she was an angel but I've seen her get sliced up pretty bad. And even though it takes her about half the time to heal she still doesn't heal instantaneously like an angel would."

This matched up with Castiel's own observations.

"Ned is convinced she's a dragon. But I told him there are no girl dragons."

"There are," Castiel informed him, "they are just very rare. And of course each female only lays one egg every hundred years which is what caused the dragons to nearly become extinct."

Timmy was trying to watch the road and stare at Castiel at the same time. "Are you saying she could be a dragon?"

"No, dragons are easily identified by their extreme body heat."

"And you are um, familiar with Rina's body temperature?" Timmy asked with a wide grin.

"Well I don't know the exact temperature," Castiel replied matter-of-factly, "But I have been in close enough proximity to her that I can tell she gives off the average amount of heat for a human."

"Anyway, my current theory is Nephilim. Which of course Ned thinks is ridiculous, even though there is a recording of a Nephilim sighting in the 1950's. And she wouldn't want to be found out because I guess it's against the angel rules to have a kid with a human."

"Yes," Castiel said quietly, "it would be dangerous for them."

Castiel thought of the Nephilim he had killed, all because Metatron had tricked him into believing he was saving Heaven. Still Timmy's theory actually made the most sense. Nephilim had superhuman strength and if the angelic parent was involved in raising the child the would probably impart their knowledge. And Nephilim were known for their ravenous appetites.

"So how do you know all this stuff anyway?" Timmy asked.

Castiel cringed inwardly. He was doing it again, giving himself away as not being normal. "I have access to an extensive library," he lied quickly.

Timmy seemed to accept the lie because he lapsed into silence until they reached the cemetery.

The cemetery was old, many of the tombstones from the 1800s. Stone posts marked the boundaries. The wards had to be places at each compass point around the cemetery. Timmy was trying to get an App on his phone to show where north was. Castiel just looked up at the stars and found Polaris, "This way," and he headed over to the post that was at the southern end of the cemetery. After a few moments Timmy followed, still fiddling with his phone.

Castiel crouched down and begun sketching the ward in chalk. He would mark all of the wards first then they would etch them into the stone to make them permanent.

He finished up the markings and stood, gave a quick glance at Polaris to orientate himself, and took off towards the western marker.

Behind him Timmy was still looking at his phone. "Ok so I think this is where we need to put the south one," Timmy began, actually pointing at the wrong post, "then the west one will be, hey where are you going?"

Castiel paused, "I already marked the correct one, go ahead and get started, I will mark the other three." He began walking again and after a moment he heard the sound of stone being scraped. He glanced back to see Timmy illuminated by the little purple light he had brought along. Rina had had the idea to use glow-in-the-dark chalk so that it could be easily seen with a black light.

Satisfied that Timmy was occupied with his task, Castiel made his way over to the west end if the cemetery. He marked the post there then repeated the process at the northern post. When he reached the final post at the east, he glanced around again to check on Timmy. He could just see the purple glow by the western marker. He pocketed the chalk and pulled out the small chisel and hammer. Since he was doing this one himself he didn't need to pre-mark it with chalk. Carefully he used little taps to chisel the Enochian symbols into the stone.

The night wore on and grew even colder. Castiel pulled up the flannel lined hood of his coat and pulled out some leather gloves. Both items had been bought for him by Rina.

Finally he completed the ward. He inspected it carefully to make sure it was correct. He would have to go check Timmy's work as well. He stood and stretched out the cramps in his muscles. He turned to find out where Timmy was, and stopped short when he saw the woman standing behind him.

She was short and slim, dressed in the style popular for a woman in the west around the turn of the century, her dark hair pulled up and styled.

She smiled coyly at Castiel. "Well good evening fine Sir."

"Good evening," he responded politely to the ghost. He realized belatedly that the shotgun was still propped up against the stone post where he had left it.

The woman took a step closer. "I came out to see who was putting walls up around our little home and what do I find but a strong, handsome man." She batted her eyelashes at Castiel and took another step closer. Castiel tried to backup but hit the fence. He searched for Timmy and spotted the faint purple light by the northern marker. As soon as Timmy was done the wards would be complete and Castiel could just jump the fence and be safe from the ghost. But until then he needed to keep the ghost inside the cemetery.

The woman giggled. "Don't fret, I don't mean any harm. I'm actually quite grateful for your help."

"You are?" This was interesting. Most ghosts hated being trapped any where.

"Oh indeed," the pale woman replied. "It has been just horrible around here lately. What with that terribly loud noise waking us from our slumber."

Castiel stopped leaning away from the ghost and perked up with interest. "What terrible noise?"

The ghost took advantage of the closer proximity to gently place a hand on Castiel's chest. Even through the heavy coat he could feel the ghost's chill.

"You can't hear it because you're alive, however to those of us of the ghostly persuasion it sounds like a horrible siren going off in our heads. It has become impossible to rest with it going." She frowned prettily. "The younger ones are having the hardest time of course. We old timers are more set in our ways and it is harder to rile us up."

This was very true Castiel knew. Ghosts where nothing if not creatures of habit. So of course the oldest ghosts would be harder to change from their set routines.

"Do you know what is causing the noise?" Castiel asked.

The ghost shook her head and sighed. "I'm afraid not. It has been going on for about a week now, and it keeps getting louder and louder."

The sound of a shotgun being cocked cause both to jump an turn.

Timmy was standing there, shotgun leveled at the ghost. "Get down Steve!"

The woman squeaked in distress and moved behind Castiel for cover. At the same moment Castiel stepped between her and Timmy. "Wait, don't shoot," Castiel called out, "she has information about what is causing the recent hauntings."

Timmy glanced at Castiel then back at the ghost who was peeking out from around Castiel's arm. Unfortunately she also had a panicked grip in his arm and he was starting to worry about frostbite.

Timmy lowered the gun slowly and squinted at the ghost. "Miss Crawford?" He asked hesitantly.

"Y .. Yes," the small woman replied.

Timmy immediately put the gun away. "I'm so sorry ma'am, I didn't recognize you."

"Oh," Miss Crawford stepped out from behind Castiel. She kept her grip on his arm though. "That's alright young man."

"So you know what is happening here?" Timmy gestured vaguely around the whole cemetery.

"Well as I was telling this handsome fellow," she patted Castiel's arm causing him to flinch, "I don't know what's causing it. I just know that there is this awful sound that is buzzing around in all of our heads, so to speak, riling everybody up."

"Is there anything else you could tell us?" Castiel asked, getting a bit desperate to end the conversation. He had tried to wriggle out of the woman's grip but she was extremely strong.

"Well there is one other thing I'm sure you would be interested in knowing."

"And that is ..?" Timmy prompted.

"Oh I don't think I could give it away for free. Such a valuable piece of information." She was looking at Castiel with a hunger in her eyes that was making him very uncomfortable.

"And what would your price be?" He asked with some trepidation.

She batted her eyes at him. "Why just one small kiss from you."

Castiel swallowed. He heard Timmy give a strangled sort of sound as if he was trying to suppress a laugh.

"You do realize that you are deceased and therefor you won't derive as much pleasure from physical intimacy," He babbled.

Miss Crawford gave him a twisted smile. "Some pleasure is always better than none."

Castiel looked desperately at Timmy but no help was forth coming. Timmy just gave him a little shrug and a small hand gesture indicating he should give in to the ghost's demands.

Castiel turned back to the woman.

She was looking at him expectantly.

He swallowed hard again, braced himself, and leaned in. He had planned on just giving her the barest hint of a kiss but as soon as he got close she grabbed his head in both hands and slammed their lips together. It felt like his whole head had been dunked into ice water. He gave a muffled yelp and tried to push her away. She was having none of that. Wrapping her arms around his back she hung on for a little longer.

Finally she released Castiel. He stumbled backwards gasping for breath. Timmy was rooted to the same spot as before a look of stunned, horror on his face.

Miss Crawford just smiled and gave a very satisfied sigh. "I would say that was more than just a little pleasurable. Don't you agree?"

Castiel didn't.

"Now a deal is a deal so even though I don't know what is causing the noise, I do know where it is coming from."

This snapped Timmy out of his stupor, "You do? Where?"

The small ghost turned and pointed at a house, dimly lit up on a hill over looking the city. "Right there," she declared.

Timmy had followed the direction she had indicated, "You're kidding." For some reason Timmy was not pleased that this particular house was the cause of the problem.

The ghost narrowed her eyes, "I do not _kid_, as you put it. I am a woman of my word and assure you my information is correct." She turned haughtily away from Timmy, "If you will excuse me I have other matters to attend to tonight." She turned to Castiel. He was still trying to catch his breath, his face tingling from what had to be the worst kiss in the history of kissing. "You may come visit me anytime," she told him with a coy smile. Then she was gone.

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 6 is almost ready. I will hopefully post it later today or tomorrow. JJ<em>


	6. Chapter 6 - Merlinus Caledonensis

_This chapter is unedited. Read at your own risk. Will not be held liable for grammar or punctuation Nazi's having fits. JJ_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 6 - Merlinus Caledonensis<span>

_So you wanna play with magic?_

_ Boy, you should know what you're falling for,_

_ Baby do you dare to do this? _

_Cause I'm coming at you like a dark horse._

_ Are you ready for, ready for,_

_ A perfect storm, perfect storm?_

_ Cause once you're mine, once you're mine,_

_ There's no going back_

-Dark Horse by Katy Perry

"You let a ghost KISS him?"

They were back at Timmy and Ned's house. Castiel and Timmy had arrived first and Timmy had immediately sat Castiel down at the kitchen table and made him some hot chocolate because he could not stop shivering. Castiel had gulped down the warm sweet liquid and asked for more. He was halfway through the second cup and a PBJ when Ned and Rina had gotten back. Rina zeroed in on Castiel and refused to leave him alone until he explained what was wrong. This lead to Castiel and Timmy telling of the encounter with the ghost.

She was not reacting well.

"I can't believe you," she railed at Timmy, "you were suppose to be watching out for him."

"I am capable of taking care of myself," Castiel protested.

"Apparently not if you're going around letting ghosts molest you," she whirled back towards Timmy, "If he gets ghost sickness its your head I'm coming after."

"Calm down," Ned placed himself between the irate Rina and the cowering Timmy, "it was just Emma Crawford. She died before she was able to marry her fiancé. Every few decades she gets some single guy to kiss her. No one has ever been hurt by it."

"And she had information we needed," Castiel said.

"So why couldn't Timmy kiss her?" Rina gestured in the young man's direction, "he's a single guy."

"She didn't seem to pleased with him threatening to shoot her when they first met," Castiel replied.

Rina groaned, dropping her head down to her hands. "Did you at least get good information?"

Timmy, who had been trying to stay as far from Rina as the small house allowed, answered, "Yeah, but it's not good news."

"Why not?" Ned asked.

"The ghost was able to tell us where the noise was coming from." Timmy sucked in a great breath, bracing himself to deliver the bad news, "It's coming from Mac's house."

Ned hissed at the news. His expression mirroring Timmy's own look of resigned dread.

Rina looked back and forth between the hunters, "I feel like I've missed a piece of vital information."

"Mac is the current coven leader." Castiel supplied, having already been brought up to speed by Timmy.

"Ooooh."

"Did you call Heather?" Ned asked.

Timmy nodded, "She's on her way here."

"Who's Heather?" Rina whispered to Castiel.

"She is the coven's liaison with Timmy and Ned," he whispered back.

"Ah," Rina paused, tapped her fingers against her thigh a few times, then, "So what, we're just suppose to sit around until she gets here?"

"Yup." Came Ned's curt reply.

"We aren't allowed to act against the council without talking to her first." Timmy explained.

"Fine," Rina huffed. She stalked into the kitchen, muttering something about politics, and got herself a beer from the fridge. She popped it open then stalked back over to where Castiel was sitting at the table and plopped down into the chair next to him. This act was enough to cause a small puff of wind, and Castiel shivered with it.

Suddenly Rina was sitting up straight, staring at him with a worried look.

"Are you ok? Do you need anything? More cocoa? A hug? Breath mint?"

"Just still a little cold," he replied, hoping not to make her worry.

Rina got up from her chair and went over to a hall closet. She pulled a blanket out and returned to where Castiel was seated. She pulled him up and lead him over to the couch, sat him down and gently tucked the blanket around him. The blanket had an electrical cord that Rina plugged in. Almost immediately the blanket began to warm.

"Better?" she asked giving him a gentle smile.

"Yes, thank you." The attention would normally have made him feel a bit awkward, just because he wasn't use to it. But when it came to Rina her attention to him had become familiar. Plus he had learned there was no point trying to protest.

He had also become accustomed to Rina's need for physical contact. She sat down and leaned up against him, drinking her beer.

Her presence created a warmth along the side she was leaning against, but it also caused a different type of warmth to flare up deep in his chest. It was a warmth he normally associated with Dean and Sam.

The warmth from the blanket and the emotional warmth had him relaxing into the couch. Soon it was hard to keep his eyes open and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Purgatory was dim and gray around him. He was hunkered down next to Dean who was resting with his back against a tree. Normally in these dreams some sort of monster would attack them and Castiel would have to watch Dean be torn apart. Instead he found himself asking Dean a question, "Why were you asking about Amazons?"<em>

_He waited for the inevitable monster attack. Bracing for it, but nothing came. As if a force were keeping everything at bay for a while. He realized Dean was talking to him. But the words didn't make any sense._

_Castiel looked around for the monsters. He thought he heard voices whispering but he wasn't quite sure._

_He turned back to Dean. He knew he had had this conversation in purgatory with Dean, the memory seemed fuzzy though. Dean had answered him then, but what had the answer been?_

_"Dean. Dean! You have to answer, before another monster comes!" Castiel shouted._

_He could see Deans mouth moving, forming words, but Castiel couldn't hear him._

_"I have to know Dean, you must tell me."_

_The voices where growing louder. Castiel was beginning to feel a bit desperate._

_"Dean, please!"_

_Suddenly Dean looked at him, he was no longer sitting on the ground instead he was standing, looming over Castiel._

_Castiel knew what Dean was going to say now. He tried covering his ears so he wouldn't have to hear it. But the words came through any way._

_"You can't stay."_

_And Dean was gone. Castiel was left alone to survive in a place that was unfamiliar to him. Just as he had left Dean in purgatory._

_He swallowed a sob. The monsters would get him this time and there was nothing he could do because he was powerless._

_Castiel felt someone take his hand._

_Rina was standing next to him. She was dressed in ancient style leather and bronze armor. She held a large dagger. Castiel understood that she was the reason the monsters were staying away._

_Rina knew her way through this place. She would help him._

_"Thank you," it came out a little choked up._

_Rina just gave him a lope sided grin and squeezed his hand. Then she asked, "Why were you asking about Amazons?"_

* * *

><p>Castiel woke to the sound of several people trying to argue in whispers.<p>

They were not doing a good job with the whisper part.

He just wanted to tune it out and go back to sleep. He was warm and comfortable and someone was rubbing soothing little circles on the back of his hand.

_Wait_

Castiel sat up and pulled his hand away. Was he still in purgatory? No, there was the coffee table covered with weapons. And it was Timmy and Ned having the loud whispered argument with a unfamiliar, dark-haired woman.

"Sorry."

The voice right next to his ear made him jump. Castiel turned and saw Rina hunkered down on the couch next to him. She still had her beer and had somehow gotten a ham sandwich to go with it. She was almost done with both.

"You were having a nightmare," Rina said. She pulled her hand out from under the blanket, it was then that Castiel put together that Rina had been holding his hand. The touch must have translated into the dream.

Rina leaned around Castiel to scowl towards the people in the kitchen. "Good job staying quiet guys."

Timmy looked over. "Sorry Steve, we were trying not to wake you."

"It's alright."

Rina was still scowling.

"What is going on?" Castiel asked.

The new woman was looking at him a bit strangely.

"You are the one who spoke with Emma Crawford," she asked.

"Yes."

"You will need to come with me." Her abrasive manner made Rina's scowl deepen.

"And where do you think you're taking him?" Rina asked.

The woman shot Rina a haughty glare. "It's none of your concern."

Castiel actually heard Rina growl.

Ned either heard it too or he just sensed the tension. "Heather just needs Steve to speak to Mac and relate what he knows." Ned took a few steps forward, positioning himself between the glaring women. He looked at Heather, "I'm sure you won't mind if Rina goes along."

"I mind quite a bit." Heather sniffed

"Well that's too damn bad." Rina snorted.

"Ladies," Ned started, "can't we be civil?"

"That would require both parties being civilized instead of one being a monster."

Castiel did not even see Rina stand. One moment she was seated next to him, the next she was upright. Heather was only average height for a woman so Rina seemed to tower over her. When Heather put her hand around an amulet she was wearing, Rina reached for her gun.

Ned took a quick step towards Rina while Timmy grabbed Heather's hand.

"She can't use magic in here," Timmy explained to Rina, "this is neutral ground."

Rina relaxed slightly at this, but she still looked ready to kill the other woman, given half a chance.

Castiel wondered if there was a history between the two women. He stood and touched Rina's arm softly. He was surprised to see her visibly calm. "We do not need to fight," he told her, "we hold all the power."

Rina tilted her head in thought, then gave Castiel a slight nod. She then took half a step back and removed her hand from her gun.

Satisfied that that crisis was averted, Castiel turned to Heather. She still had her hand on her amulet but it was most likely a habit when she was threatened. "If you want me to speak to the coven leader then you will have to allow Rina to come as well. Or," he added, "you could bring him here. We can wait."

It was easy to see how mad Heather was. Her eyes flew back and forth between Rina and Castiel. Then they flickered down to where Castiel was still touching Rina on the arm. Heather's lips turned up in a disgust. But she said, "Fine! Bring the abomination. But I will not guarantee Max won't just kill you both on the spot for daring to come into his presence with her." Heather told Ned.

"Sounds great," Rina said, grinning, "look forward to meeting the head colored T-shirt." Heather tried to maintain her look of disgust but it was hard when she was so obviously confused by what Rina had said. Rina breezed past her, "And we are taking my Jeep." She was out the door, Castiel, Timmy, and Ned following behind her.

"Why does Heather dislike Rina so much?" Castiel asked Timmy.

"Not sure, we've tried asking Heather about it but she clamps down when ever the subject of Rina is brought up."

"We think she knows," Ned whispered in confidence.

"Knows? Knows, what?" Castiel asked, unsure why the were whispering.

"What Rina is," Timmy whispered, "I keept track of all of the things Heather has called her. Abomination is a new one. Hmm," Timmy looked pensive, "maybe a chimera?"

"What?!" Ned forgot to whisper and Rina turned to give them an amused look.

"Are you guys coming, or just going to keep gossiping like a bunch of teenage girls?" she called back to them.

* * *

><p>The home of the Manitou Springs Coven's leader was quite spacious. Closer to a mansion than just a house. It was high on the craggy cliffs of red rock that over looked the city. Backed up to the area known as Garden of the Gods, Timmy informed Castiel that the area was very expensive to live in.<p>

"See that house over there," Timmy pointed to another impressive house a little higher up, "that's where Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell live."

"Are they witches too?" Castiel asked.

"What? No man, they're actors. You know, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Stargate?"

"I don't believe there is a gate made of stars."

Timmy looked dumbfounded. Rina came up behind Castiel and hooked her arm through his. "Come on Steve, stop giving Timmy a hard time."

Heather lead them into a large vestibule where she told them to wait while she announced them. Rina looked unhappy about it but stayed put.

A few moments later a large man came to greet them. Heather was no where to be seen.

"I am Mac Vanhorn ." He was an older man, bald, and his beard almost completely grey. " I understand you have come with information concerning the recent upturn in ghosts."

"Yes," Ned replied, "one of our associates," he gestured at Castiel, "spoke with the ghost of Emma Crawford earlier this evening. She told him that there was a noise causing all of the ghosts to become restless."

Mac looked at Castiel but his gaze quickly slid off to the side where Rina had positioned herself behind and to the right of Castiel. A dark look crossed the coven leaders face. "Why does this news bring you to my home?" Mac turned back to Ned. Ned swallowed hard and looked as though he would like to hide from the stern man in front of him.

"The ghost told me that the source of the noise was your home." Castiel spoke up, "So we are here to put an end to it." Mac's eyebrows shot up at This statement. Castiel continued on, "It would be easiest if you would just surrender yourself and end the spell that is causing the ghosts to become restless."

Several noises came from his fellow hunters. Ned made a odd strangled sound. Timmy snorted, which seemed to cause a coughing fit. Rina just laughed out loud.

Mac looked amused as well.

"Would that make things easier for you or me?" He asked.

"You," Castiel replied.

"I am torn between being enraged by your audacity," Mac said, "or impressed by your courage. Though I do wonder if

you courage merely comes from who you brought with you?" Mac's gaze again slide to Rina.

"I do not base my courage on outside influences." Castiel growled at the witch.

"Ahem," Ned choose this moment to cut in, " actually we are not sure who's doing it."

"Well it stands to reason that the leader of the largest witches coven would be able preform such a spell. And this is his house." Castiel told Ned.

"Actually we were thinking it might be someone else." Ned said, "Didn't April recently return from a trip to London?"

Mac mouth turned down but he nodded.

"When did she get back?" Ned asked.

"About three weeks ago."

Ned nodded his head. "That coincides with when we first noticed the wards weakening."

Mac heaved a sigh. "You'd better come in."

They followed him into the main part of the house and into a large sitting room. Heather was in the room along with an older lady Mac introduced as his wife, Penelope.

Heather and Penelope had been having a whispered conversation that had abruptly stopped as soon as the group had walked in. Both women were eyeing Rina with apparent dislike. Castiel assumed the incident at the house had been relayed. Rina, however, seemed unaffected by all of the staring. Instead she just smiled at Heather upon seeing her.

Where is April?" Mac asked his wife.

"Why?"

"These hunters are here because they believe she may have something to do with the recent troubles."

Penelope straightened, "How dare they," she glanced at Rina, "come into our home and accuse our daughter?"

"It would not be the first time April abused power." Mac pointed out.

"She's young," Penelope sputtered, "she doesn't understand - "

"She's 23." Mac said.

"Sooo," Rina interrupted, "I take it this is not April's first offense?"

"No," Timmy had been shadowing Rina since they had arrived. And Rina had been shadowing Castiel, so he heard the younger man's muttered response.

Penelope shot Rina a sneer, "It is none of your concern."

"Actually," Ned put in, "it is our concern now. We discusses this last time, the coven needs to deal with April or we will have to."

"You have no right." Penelope said.

"Under our contract we do. If we, as hunters, decide the coven is not keeping its members in line we have the right to take appropriate measures to ensure civilian safety." Ned said.

Mac frowned, "Unfortunately you are right." He turned to his wife, "I warned you of this Penelope. April has gone too far this time."

"And what do you suggest?" Penelope asked, "Are you planning on putting her to death? Your own daughter?"

"If she were any other member of the coven - "

"She is NOT any other member!"

"I cannot afford to continue being lenient!"

"EXCUSE ME!" Rina was suddenly between the arguing couple, "I'm so sorry to interrupt your marital discord, but we do actually need to take care of the rouge witch. Who, I might add, is most likely aiding some depowered thing to get it's power back again. Which rarely ends well. So you either tell us where this April is or I will start a room-to-search."

"Over my dead body!" Penelope hissed.

Rina shrugged, "Sure."

"April is downstairs," Mac ignored the cry of protest from his wife, "I will take you to her. I only ask that you allow me to talk to her first." His request was directed at Rina, not Ned, which Castiel found odd.

Rina nodded, "Lead away."

They followed Mac down several hallways until they came to a large oak door. Mac tried to open it, "She's locked it." Mac sounded quite surprised by this.

"These spells can be quite delicate. I imagine she didn't want to be disturbed." Castiel said.

"Excellent point Steve," Rina gave him a wink.

Mac had placed his hand flat against the door, "And she has warded it against magic. Penelope, where is the spare key?"

"I have no idea."

"Do not defy me." Mac rumbled.

"Here let me try something," Rina pushed her way forward, "step back, give me room."

Everyone took several steps back, except for Penelope who was pulled back by Mac.

Rina inspected the door a bit. She tapped it in several spots, put her ear to it and knocked, then lifted a leg and kicked the heavy wooden door in.

"Look at that, it wasn't warded against my boot." Rina pulled her gun out and began descending the stairs.

"You told me you would allow me to talk to her first." Mac cried out when he caught sight of the gun.

"I've generally found that when someone barricades themselves in a deep, dark dungeon, we have moved past the talking to stage. I" Rina replied.

They all followed Rina down the stairs using the light from the open door above. Once they were down there wasn't any light to be had. "Is there a light switch by any chance?" Rina asked.

Castiel heard the sound of a switch being flipped but nothing happened. The switched was flipped a few more times but the lights remained off.

Mac grumbled, then muttered a few archaic words. All at once several dozen candles lit, filling the spacious basement with a warm glow.

Calling it a dungeon turned out to be very appropriate. Cool stone made up the floor and walls. Heavy bookcases held spell books. Occult symbols where painted on the walls and a devil's trap adorned the floor. Castiel also noticed a wall display with several ceremonial daggers.

And flying through the air where little wisps of light.

In the far corner a young woman was standing at an alter, her arms raised, eyes closed, she was reading an incantation from a book. Across that alter from her was a man, his flesh was pale and he looked a bit worn out. He was absorbing the little wisps of light, and with each wisp he grew visibly healthier looking.

Rina turned to the hunters, "Looks like the spell is keeping them occupied. We can sneak - "

"Young lady, what do you think you're doing?!" Penelope's shrill voice bounced around the chamber.

April and the man with her immediately stopped the spell and swung around.

"Or," Rina went on calmly, "we can throw Penelope at them as a distraction."

"Mom!" April whined, "What are you doing? You're going to ruin everything."

"You should be more concerned about how much trouble you're in." Mac said, "How many times do I have to go through this with you. You cannot keep fooling around with these darker magics."

"This isn't dark magic," April said, "I'm helping my friend."

"And who is this friend?" Mac asked.

April turned to the man and smiled, "His name is Mel, we met in London." She turned back to her father, "He was stripped of his powers by some hunters. I'm helping him get them back."

While April had been talking, Rina had begun creeping along the edge of the wall towards the alter. Castiel followed close behind with Timmy and Ned. April's attention was on her parents and Heather, who were still standing by the

stairwell. The strange man had his eyes closed and was still absorbing the wisps of light. As they got closer Castiel could better make out his features and he suddenly recognized him.

Rina paused at Castiel's light touch on her shoulder. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I know who the bleached out T-shirt is."

"Who?"

"He is a powerful wizard from early England named Merlin."

"Whoa, t_he_ Merlin?" Rina asked.

"I believe there was only one."

Timmy came up behind Castiel, "Does that mean we don't have to worry. Merlin was a good guy, right?"

Castiel scowled, "He was most certainly not. He was a madman that touted himself as a prophet. He is the unholy off-spring of an incubus and a mortal female. He used his supernatural powers to allow a bastard child to become King. A King who later committed incest and almost destroyed Brittan because of the child born from his incest."

"Well when you put it that way." Timmy muttered.

The whispered conversation attracted the man's attention.

Rina swore when she noticed Merlin's hand coming up. "Scatter!" She grabbed Castiel and dove behind a large bookcase. They reached cover just as Merlin uttered a single word and a huge gust of wind swept through the chamber.

Timmy and Ned where flung backwards. Ned had been trying to cover Timmy so he got the full brunt of their collision with the wall. They slid to the ground and he lay unmoving.

Mac had done a hand gesture and had blocked most of the wind from hitting himself and his wife. Heather didn't fair so well and was tossed into another bookcase. The bookcase was sturdy and didn't fall but several books tumbled off their shelves and landed on and around Heather.

Mac rounded on Merlin, "You will rue the day you set foot in my house." The coven leader sent his own powerful blast of wind at the other man. Castiel noticed he managed to make it not hit his daughter though.

But Merlin just laughed as the wind whooshed past him and did nothing more than ruffle his hair. "You are no match for me," Merlin raised his arms, "I am almost back to my full strength."

Timmy unloaded a full clip into the wizard.

Not a single one hit. Instead they just curved around the man and hit the wall behind him.

Timmy stood dumbfounded.

Merlin raised a hand towards Timmy and clenched his fist. Timmy grabbed his throat and was gasping for breath.

Mac raised his own hands to try another spell, but April ran at him and placed herself between her father and Merlin.

"Daddy, no! Don't you dare hurt him! He is my forever!" she declared.

"April step aside and stop being so daft." Mac tried to shove his daughter away, she grabbed tight to his sleeve and refused to let go.

Rina and Castiel scrambled over to Timmy. He was still trying to breath, scratching at his throat as if there was something there cutting off his air. Rina grabbed him and ripped open his shirt. Using the tip of a blade, she quickly carved a symbol into his chest and immediately he was heaving in huge gulps of air.

More commotion made them all look over at Penelope and April. "April stop being so foolish." Penelope was trying to drag April away from Mac. Heather came over to get involved but April flicked her wrist and Heather went flying back into the bookcase.

Rina checked Ned over, "He's breathing, just out cold."

"How do we stop this guy?" Timmy's voice was hoarse but his breathing was returning to normal. He tried to use his shirt to stop the bleeding on his chest, Castiel pulled his hands away.

"You need to let it bleed, it will allow any curse or spell to flow out of you."

"Speaking of which," Rina removed on of the bracelets from her arm, and secured it to Castiel's wrist, "it's a talisman to protect you from spells. I'd rather not have to carve your chest too."

"Mom you don't understand," April was now trying to get back to Merlin, "he's taught me how to live!"

"I'll teach her how to die." Rina muttered.

Penelope still heard her and gasped in horror.

"I'm kidding," Rina assured her. She turned to Castiel, "I'm not kidding."

Now that April was no longer blocking Mac, he had begun to fight in earnest with the wizard. Sparks of electricity and booms of thunder shook the entire basement. Mac seemed to be giving the battle his all, but Merlin was just laughing as every attack had little to no affect on him.

Meanwhile Rina had begun to move toward Merlin again. "How powerful is this guy?" she asked Castiel.

"Powerful enough that he was considered impossible to kill. The Lady of the Lake was able to imprison him for a time. And apparently someone successfully stripped him of his powers. But most who have gone against him have perished."

"Horribly odds then, excellent."

"I don't see how it is excellent?" Castiel said.

"I haven't had a really good challenge lately. Need something to keep me on my game." Rina replied.

"The Hydra vampires weren't a big enough challenge?"

"Ha-ha, you just called them Hydra vampires. I win." Rina grinned.

"Win what?"

"Satisfaction."

They made their way over to the bookcase Heather had been thrown against. She was groaning and moving weakly. Rina checked the witch's pulse, it must have been ok because Rina quickly moved on.

"Do we have an actual plan?" Castiel asked as he ducked a flying candlestick.

"Let's rush him at the same time and stick him with an angle blade. Those things can kill most anything."

"Its not a very sound plan."

"Its beautiful in it's simplicity." Rina replied.

So they both stood and rushed the wizard.

Merlin was facing off with Mac still so he didn't see the two hunters coming at him. They were about halfway when the wizard noticed them and flicked a hand out. Castiel felt the blast of force that was meant to throw them both. The talisman Rina had given him damped the effects but it still felt like a punch to the gut. Rina, however, seemed completely unaffected. She just kept running at Merlin.

The wizard made a sword appear out of nowhere. Rina ducked under the first attack and parried the second with her angel blade. She then moved in close to prevent him from using the long blade.

Castiel got his breath back and was moving again. He stopped next to Mac, who was looking very strained, "You need to distract him." Castiel told Mac.

"What do you think I have been trying to do?"

"Try again." Castiel left the witch and came up behind Merlin. At some point Rina had managed to disarm him and his sword was across the room. Unfortunately Rina had been disarmed too and they were fighting hand-to-hand. The wizard caught Rina with a mighty sweep of his arm and she was throw into the nearby alter.

Castiel thrust with his blade, aiming for the heart, but at the last moment the wizard turned and the blade sliced in his side instead. Merlin gripped Castiel's wrist and yanked the blade free. The wizard then grabbed Castiel by the throat with his other hand and shoved him against the wall.

"Broken little angel," the wizard growled, "what are you doing with an amazon? Has the war ended?"

Castiel couldn't answer. The wizard was crushing his neck.

"I have been away from the world too long," the wizard said, "So much has changed. So much remains the same. For there shall always be men of power to manipulate until the world is as I want it."

Suddenly Merlin dropped Castiel. Mac had come up behind them and stabbed Merlin through the heart with a ceremonial blade.

Merlin turned to face Mac. Castiel could see the blade in the man's back, buried to the hilt. Castiel and Mac both just stared at Merlin for a moment. Castiel waited for the wizard to at least be weakened. Instead he saw the knife work it's way out of Merlin's back, rise in the air, and plunge toward Mac.

Mac raised an arm and the knife hit it instead of Mac's chest. "Aaagh!" Mac grabbed at his wounded arm and stumbled back.

Castiel still had his angel blade in his hand and tried for the heart again. Merlin just smacked him aside. Castiel hit the stone floor hard. He looked up to see the wizard coming towards him. He also saw Rina, with Merlin's sword raised. The final thing he saw after that, is what got him to his feet.

April.

She must have gotten free from her mother and had also noticed Rina. The young woman was barreling towards Rina in an attempt to stop her. Castiel dodged around Merlin and ran towards April, staying low to avoid the blade that Rina was swinging through the air. Castiel collided with April's midsection just before she got to Rina. He wrapped his arms around her and knocked her to the ground. They landed with a crack and April cried out. A second later it turned to a scream.

"NOOOO!"

Castiel heard something wet and heavy hitting the ground near them. A splash of warmth hit his shoulder and back. April was staring to the left of them, a string of screams leaving her mouth.

"NO, NO, NO, NO!"

Suddenly she became a wild thing, scratching, hitting, and even biting at Castiel. A pair of strong hands pulled him off of her and got him to his feet. He found himself just inches from Rina's face. She was smiling at him. But he just felt cold inside.

"Ok?" she asked.

Castiel nodded and moved away. Words were stuck in his throat. He turned around and almost stepped on the decapitated body of Merlin. He stepped back, but that just brought him next to Rina again. Turning again he noticed Timmy trying to help a disoriented Ned to his feet. Castiel moved quickly to help. He and Timmy each took and arm and got Ned upright.

"We should get him to the car. Make sure he's alright," Timmy told Rina.

Rina nodded and tossed him her car keys. "Go ahead and patch up your chest too."

"Look out!" Castiel called.

April had gotten to her feet and was charging Rina, a blade held high.

Rina spun at Castiel's warning and April ran right onto the sword Rina was still holding.

Castiel tried not to look at Rina and instead focused on getting Ned up the stairs. But he couldn't help one quick look back. Rina was standing over April, the sword dripping blood, the young girl bleeding out on the floor. Mac nearby, looking pale and grim, while Penelope was sobbing in Heather's arms.

Castiel looked away. He shifted Ned's weight a bit and they slowly made their way up the stairs. None of them saying anything.


	7. Chapter 7 - At the Bus Stop

_So one of the questions I keep getting asked over and over, is when are Sam and Dean going to be in the story. The answer is that they will be in it eventually, and Dean will get to meet Emma. The problem is that Cas was separated from the boys for most of season 9. Even when he became an angel again, he was mostly with Sam then he was off by himself again. My plan is to stay with the canon series of events until the end of season 9. Then I have my own plan for the boys, Cas, and Emma. And it will involve a lot of together time. So don't be like Crowley, be patient. ;) _

_I am almost done with chapter 8. I will probably get it up by tomorrow evening. -JJ_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 7 - At the Bus Stop<span>**

_I walk this empty street,_

_On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams,_

_Where the city sleeps,_

_And I'm the only one and I walk alone._

-Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Greenday

Out at Rina's car Castiel made Timmy and Ned both sit on the back bumper. He opened up the huge first aid kit, pulled out a chemical cold pack for Ned, and gauze for Timmy. Ned held the ice pack to the large lump on his head, he waved Castiel away, saying, "Take care of Timmy first, he's bleeding."

Timmy was indeed still bleeding. Castiel had him hold a large piece of gauze on the cuts on his chest while Castiel inspected the scratches on the neck. In his desperation to breath, Timmy had gouged several long scrapes in the flesh of his neck. Castiel carefully cleaned them out and bandaged them.

He then turned his attention to the symbol Rina had carved on Timmy's chest. She had been careful not to make it too deep so Castiel just cleaned off the blood and bandaged Timmy up.

Ned had climbed into the back seat and was resting his head, the cold pack still firmly in place.

Rina came out of the house. Her usual flippant attitude was gone, replaced by a dark expression.

"Let's go," she barked.

Castiel climbed into the backseat next to Ned. When Rina saw this she paused for a moment, a look of surprise flickered briefly. Then it was gone and she climbed into her seat and started the Jeep. Timmy climbed into the passenger's side, and Rina peeled away from the house.

Nobody spoke on the way back.

When they got back to Ned and Timmy's house, Castiel helped Ned in and up to his room. It was almost 3 in the morning and everyone was tired. But Castiel tried to stop Ned from getting into bed.

"I think the correct thing for a sever concussion is to not sleep," he told Ned.

Ned got into bed anyway, "I'll be fine."

"Concussions can rapidly become worse. Swelling in the cranial cavity puts pressure on the brain." Castiel said.

"Steve,"

"Yes?"

"Get out."

Castiel retreated. Once outside Ned's bedroom he paused, unsure what to do next.

He could hear Rina and Timmy talking down in the kitchen.

"I don't know why you're upset," Timmy was saying, "the coven would have called for her death anyway. The only reason it hasn't happened before is because she was Mac's daughter and nothing she had done had caused any serious harm."

Rina replied but Castiel couldn't make it out.

Timmy sighed, "Don't drink all of Ned's whiskey, ok?"

Castiel heard someone moving around downstairs, but no more talking. He stood in the darkened hallway weighing his options.

But the dark and inactivity allowed his mind to start thinking about the thing he was trying really hard not to think about.

_What are you doing with an Amazon?_

Why hadn't he realized it? Amazon matched everything about Rina. Strength, rapid healing, her knowledge about all things supernatural.

These thoughts lead to the ones he was really trying very hard not to think of yet.

The dream he'd had earlier about purgatory.

The question he had asked Dean.

_Why were you asking about Amazons?_

Castiel's train of thought was interrupted by someone coming up the stairs. He relaxed when he saw it was just Timmy.

"Hey Steve," his voice was still horse, "how is Ned doing?"

"He wouldn't listen to my advice concerning head trauma."

Timmy chuckled, then winced, "That sounds like Ned. I'll check on him in a bit. The guest bedroom is downstairs, Rina knows where. Goodnight." Timmy headed down the hall to his own room.

Castiel was once again alone in the dark. He decided he was going to have to go downstairs otherwise Rina would come looking for him. He pushed the tangle of emotions deep down, took a steadying breath, and went down the stairs.

Rina was sitting at the kitchen table, an open bottle of Jack Daniels and a half empty glass next to her. Her head was down, hands fisted in her hair. She looked up when Castiel reached the bottom of the stairs. He was struck by how haunted she looked.

"I should've just disarmed her," she said.

Castiel had meant to just come down and go to bed. Instead he asked, "Why? She was guilty."

"Guilty?" Rina laughed, "of course she was guilty. I mean she was old enough to know better, right?" She gulped down the rest of the whiskey then poured herself another glass. "But what if she hadn't been raised a witch? Maybe the worst thing she ever would have done is crash her parents car. Or get arrested for shoplifting."

Castiel wasn't sure what Rina was talking about. "She was raised a witch. So it doesn't matter what she would have done if she had been born to a non-witch family."

"Yeah, but then is she completely to blame? What about her family? Are they to blame too?"

Castiel frowned, "Yes, to a certain extent. But eventually the choices became her own, not her parents."

"What if this was the last time? What if I hadn't killed her and she decided to turn her life around? Break away from her family and magic?"

"It doesn't matter what she would have done," Castiel replied, "her choices lead her to her end."

"Suppose you're right," Rina downed the whiskey in one shot, "we're all damned anyway." She stood, grabbed the bottle but left the glass. "I'll take the couch, you can have the guest room."

"No," Castiel said quickly, "I'll take the couch. It's actually very comfortable."

"Whatever. I'm too worn out to argue. Night Steve."

Castiel waited until he heard the door of the guest bedroom close.

He turned off the lights. Then he went over to the couch, laid down, and covered himself with the electric blanket.

In the dark again, Castiel let all the thoughts he had been keeping at bay, wash over him.

* * *

><p><em>"So Amazons would end up in Purgatory, right?" Dean was walking along side Benny, Castiel close behind.<em>

_They had been reviewing all the different monsters they had seen and fought in Purgatory. It was something to pass the time, Castiel supposed._

_"Yeah, Amazons come here." Benny drawled._

_"So why haven't we seen any? I mean we've seen everything else. Even stuff I didn't know existed. So why no Amazons?" Dean asked._

_Benny laughed, "Brother, you best pray we don't run into any Amazons. Or this little expedition will be over real quick."_

_"Why's that?"_

_"Cause Amazons ain't like the rest of the monsters in here. They're more like the Leviathan, they stick together. And they're feared like them too. Heck, lot of the old timers in here where put here by the Amazons back in the day."_

_Dean stopped, "Wait, Amazons kill other monsters?"_

_Benny turned to face Dean, "Aren't you suppose to be some legendary hunter? How do you not know that the Amazons were the original hunters?"_

_"Well how do you know?" Dean shot back._

_"Know thy enemy." Benny replied, "you in here long enough you learn a lot of stuff 'bout a lot of things. It's how you survive."_

_Castiel had listened to the whole exchange but said nothing. He could tell that Dean was trying to appear uninterested. Which meant he was very interested. Castiel tucked that away to bring up alone with his friend._

_He got his chance not long after._

_They were trudging up a hill when Dean tripped over a root. He quickly recovered but Castiel and Benny exchanged a quick look._

_Purgatory seemed to be keeping Dean's body in a sort of stasis. He could go long periods without food and water, and even then it only took a few sips and a couple of leaves from an edible plant to satisfy him. He also didn't need to sleep. But occasionally he did need to rest for an hour or two. Of course he wanted to push himself as far as he could before collapsing. Benny and Castiel, through an unspoken agreement, would watch for signs of fatigue. Then one or the other would make an excuse to stop for a while._

_This time Benny came up with the excuse. "Once we get to the other side here, I'm gonna scout ahead. Sometimes a pack of werewolves will travel this area. Best if we make sure they're not around before we go through."_

_Dean just nodded his agreement. They continued up the hill, Castiel sticking close behind Dean in cause he should fall._

_At the bottom of the hill they found a dense group of trees and brush for Dean and Castiel to lay low in. Benny left to scout ahead. From past experience Castiel knew that Benny would scout ahead for a short ways, then double back to patrol the perimeter of their resting spot. And it was always Benny, the one time Castiel had offered to scout ahead, Dean had gotten so upset that Castiel never offered again._

_Dean collapsed near a large tree, resting his back on it. Castiel crouched down next to Dean to watch over him while he rested._

_"Why were you asking about Amazons?" Castiel asked. He watched Dean tense for half a second, then force himself to relax._

_"No reason," He shrugged, "just curious."_

_"Did you run into Amazons on a hunt?" Castiel persisted._

_"Yeah," now Dean was trying to be nonchalant, "Sammy and I ran into a group of them earlier this year." He pulled out one of his knives and began to carefully sharpen it._

_"And?" Castiel prompted._

_"And what?"_

_"And did something happen?"_

_"No, I mean, ya know, they were carving up a bunch of guys. We figured it out and stopped them, sorta."_

_"Sorta?" Castiel asked._

_"Well, I mean they did stop. Mostly cause they skipped town." Dean was starting to become agitated. He forgot he was suppose to be sharpening the knife in his hand and was just flicking it open and closed._

_"Dean."_

_"What Cas?!" Dean stood. "What are you looking for here?"_

_Castiel stood too, "I'm trying to understand why the subject of Amazons upsets you so much. What aren't you telling me?"_

_Castiel could see the façade cracking. Fatigue and stress were wearing on his friend and it showed._

_"I just needed to get away for awhile," Dean suddenly blurted out angrily, "Bobby had just died, you were gone, Leviathans were running around everywhere impersonating us and making our lives a living hell! I just couldn't take it anymore!"_

_Castiel hoped no monsters were nearby because they would certainly be able to hear Dean._

_"I needed a release!" Dean stopped, he ran a hand over his face and looked down at the ground, "I blew Sam off and went to a bar. Picked up what I thought was some random chick." All the anger drained from his face, replaced with sorrow and regret, " I didn't know." He finished quietly._

_"She was an Amazon," Castiel suddenly understood._

_"I used a condom." Dean looked as though he was pleading with Castiel to understand, forgive, maybe? Castiel wasn't sure._

_"I would imagine Amazons would have a way to nullify any means of contraception." He supplied helpfully._

_Dean laughed without humor, "I'm 100% sure they do." He went back to the tree and sat down again._

_Castiel sat next to him, "What happened to her?"_

_Dean sighed and rubbed his hand over his face again, "She came to the place we were staying. She had grown into a teenager by then. I knew who she was, why she was there. Should have shot her the second I had the chance. But I couldn't. Even when she pulled a knife on me, couldn't do it." Dean sighed heavily, "So Sam had too."_

_They sat in silence for awhile. Dean's head hung low._

_"It wasn't your fault Dean. There was nothing you could have done to save her," Castiel told his friend._

_"Maybe there was." Dean lifted his head to look at Castiel, "I saw her, when she was just a baby, before her mom handed her over. If I had just figured it out then, maybe I could have taken her before she was brain washed."_

_"Don't blame yourself."_

_"How long have you known me Cas? All I do is blame myself." Dean gave a rueful smile._

_"That is very true."_

_Dean chuckled. He finally realized he was still holding the knife, he closed it and put it away. He pulled his knees up to his chest, folded his arms over them, and rested his head. Castiel remained alert, constantly scanning the area for any threats. But the only thing out there for now was Benny._

_"Her name was Emma." It came out as barely a whisper._

_Castiel didn't respond. He wanted to comfort Dean but he didn't know how. Plus he was planning on leaving his friend._

_Moments of solidarity would only make it harder for him to let the hunter go. _

* * *

><p>It had been over an hour since Castiel had heard anyone moving in the house. He slipped out from under the blanket, still fully clothed. He grabbed his duffle bag and quietly slipped out the door.<p>

He headed towards the main road, then to the bus stop he had noticed earlier that day.

It was still dark out, dawn wouldn't be coming for another hour. He got to the bus stop but realized he didn't know the bus schedule. In big cities they ran all day and night. But smaller cities tended to have a more limited schedule.

There was a small coffee shop near the bus stop and Castiel could see a light on and someone moving around inside. He went up to the door and knocked. The person inside must not have heard because they didn't come to the door. So he knocked louder.

Was the person inside deaf perhaps? Or maybe they had headphones on.

Castiel pounded on the door as loud as he could. This finally got the persons attention. A rather annoyed looking young woman came up to the glass, pointed at the sign on the door, and yelled, "We're closed!"

"I just need to know when the bus comes." He pointed back at the bus stop to make sure she understood.

"It won't be by for over an hour." The young woman told him.

"I need to leave sooner than that," he told her, "is there another bus?"

The young woman inside the coffee shop clenched her jaw. She took several deep breaths then said, "Why don't you try Old Colorado City. They might come sooner there."

"Where is that?" Castiel asked.

The woman in the coffee shop slapped a hand to her forehead, "Just stay on this road and head down toward the highway. Once you go under the overpass you're there."

"Oh, thank you very much. You've been most helpful."

She gave him an odd look, then rolled her eyes, "Whatever," and she went back to her work.

Castiel headed down the road in the direction the young woman had told him to go. He eventually came to the overpass and went under it. He came upon another bus stop shortly there after, this one had a man sleeping on it. He shook the man awake to ask what time the bus came. The man was somewhat grumpy at having been woken. But he still told Castiel that the buses didn't start running until 6. Castiel thanked him and gave him a granola bar that happened to be in his coat pocket. The man's face lit up with a smile as he took the snack and tore it open.

Castiel checked his watch. It was only 5:30 so he decided to keep walking. He eventually came upon a sign announcing he was in Old Colorado City. The area was mostly comprised of small shops selling specialty items. Most of the shops didn't open until much later so no one was around.

At the next bus stop he decided to stop and wait. It was still only 5:50, but the bus might come early.

He sat down on the cold bench and waited. He didn't really have a plan on where to go. He still had over a hundred dollars from his last paycheck in his wallet. That would get him pretty far. He could ride the bus for awhile, then change buses. That and paying cash would make it hard to track him.

He was just checking his watch again when he heard the roar of a powerful engine. He looked up to see Rina's Jeep barreling down the road. She screeched to a halt in front of the bus stop and got out.

Castiel considered running, but he doubted he could out run her. Instead he stood and placed his back to tree that was along the road, and made sure his angel blade was ready.

Rina rushed around her Jeep and over to Castiel. She looked like she was worried and a little frantic.

"What are you doing?" She demanded.

"Waiting for the bus." Castiel replied calmly.

"Ok, but why?"

"I'm leaving."

Rina, no, Emma, looked upset. It just made Castiel angry.

"Why are you leaving?" she asked. Now she was even making it sound as though she was hurt.

"Don't pretend that you don't know why."

"Is this because of last night? Because I killed April? I didn't want too, I, I had too." The desperation in her voice was distracting, but Castiel ignored it and focused on keeping his distance from her. He scanned the area, looking for escape routes.

"This has nothing to do with April," he told Emma, "Well I suppose it does since Merlin is the one who told me you're an Amazon."

Emma paled visibly at the last word, "He, he told you?" Her breathing was becoming shaky. It would be a quite convincing act, if Castiel didn't know better.

"It wasn't to hard after that to figure out who you were as well." Castiel was letting his anger show now. She knew that he knew everything now, but she was still putting on her act.

"Who? But how? You couldn't ... " Emma was even shaking a little now.

"STOP IT!" Emma jumped at Castiel's shout of anger. "Stop pretending you don't know what I'm talking about! Stop acting hurt! And STOP pretending to be my friend!"

"Wait, please," she put her hands out in a placating manner, "I really don't know what your talking about. I, I am an Amazon, that's true, but I'm not pretending to be your friend. Can we please just stop and talk about this Steve?" She actually had the gall to plead.

"You know my name isn't Steve," he realized he was shaking now too, from anger, "You've probably known all along, haven't you?" Emma was shaking her head. She took a step backward and Castiel stepped forward to close the distance. He didn't care if she was stronger than him or more powerful. He was furious at having been made a fool, again! He let his angel blade slip down into his hand. Emma's eyes darted to it and she stumbled on the curb when she took another step back.

"I will not allow you to use me to get to Dean!"

Emma froze.

Her eyes widened, and she went so pale that Castiel was momentarily reminded of Emma Crawford's ghost.

"What?" She breathed.

Then she suddenly looked back at his angel blade. Castiel tensed for an attack, but she just looked at his eyes. Then she looked at his hair.

Castiel began to feel a little unsure.

Her eyes flicked back to his blade, then over to his side. The side where he had the Enochian tattoo she had commented on. Her eyes kept going back and forth between the blade and his side. Her forehead creased as though she was puzzling something out.

"Oh," she gasped suddenly, her gaze settling on the blade again, "Oh!" She looked back up at his eyes. "Oh no." She started shaking her head, "No, no," she began to back away again, "oh no."

Castiel was feeling even more confused. What was the advantage of her acting this way? But then Emma turned, and without another word got in her Jeep and sped away.

Castiel remained standing on the sidewalk holding his angel blade, and feeling a bit stunned.

He was still trying to figure out what had just happened when the bus arrived. He ignored it and it left.

A few minutes later a car pulled up to the curb and two people got out.

"Steve?"

Castiel looked up to see Timmy and Ned. They both looked worried.

"Hey, um, Rina called us," Timmy said, "she asked us to come get you. And maybe take you back to our place or to Gary and Sheila's. Whichever you prefer."

Castiel just stared at them.

Ned cleared his throat, "She also said to tell you that she promises she won't come near either place while you're there." Ned glanced over at Timmy, who just answered with a shrug. "Actually she promised to never come near you again." Ned finished.

"Oh," this just confused Castiel even more.

Ned and Timmy stood there at the bus stop with Castiel, looking uncomfortable. Finally Timmy spoke up again, "So, can we take you somewhere?"

Castiel thought a moment, "I would like to go back to Gary and Sheila's place if you don't mind."

"Sure, no problem, we can do that."

So they all got into the car and headed to Woodland Park.

Castiel sat in the back. At first Timmy tried talking to him, but after Castiel didn't answer back, he gave up. Castiel watched the scenery go by. Something about the way Emma had reacted didn't make sense. It was almost as if it hadn't been an act. As if she really had been upset. But that didn't make sense either.

Castiel tried to figure it out but soon the motion of the car and lack of sleep the night before caught up with him. He fell asleep thinking about green eyes that had looked hurt.


	8. Chapter 8 - Cas goes Snooping

_But I wonder, where were you? _

_When I was at my worst,_

_Down on my knees,_

_ And you said you had my back._

_ So I wonder, where were you?_

_ All the roads you took came back to me,_

_ So I'm following the map that leads to you._

-Maps by Maroon 5

They got to Gary and Sheila's place, Castiel stumbled out of the car, into the house, and up to the little bedroom in the loft. He didn't speak with anyone. He fell into bed and promptly fell back asleep. When he awoke the sun showed that it was afternoon. He found a note taped to the bathroom mirror telling him that Gary and Sheila were both out but there was some soup and sandwiches in the fridge and he should help himself to them. He found the food. As the soup heated in the microwave he devoured one of the sandwiches, then ate a second with the soup.

He had just finished cleaning up after himself when Sheila came in with a large bag of apples in one arm and a pumpkin in the other. Castiel quickly relieved her of the pumpkin.

"Thanks you Steve. Did you have a good nap?"

"Yes. I'm feeling much better, thank you."

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Sheila asked.

"How do you know what happened?" Had Emma told Sheila? Was Sheila part of it as well?

Sheila chuckled, "I've known Rina for almost a year now and I've never heard her upset before. Annoyed, angry, and even indignant, but never really truly upset. And you don't look too happy either so it's not too hard to figure out that something happened between the two of you. Plus," she added, "Timmy told me that Rina woke them up early this morning demanding to know where you were. And when neither one of them knew she went flying out of the house to find you. A little while later they get a call from her telling them to go pick you up."

"Oh," Castiel wasn't sure what else to say to this.

"So would you like to talk about it?" Sheila asked again.

"Not really."

"Fine. You can help me peel apples then." Sheila handed Castiel a small implement.

He studied it for a minute. It was a thin, metal piece suspended on a plastic 'Y'. The long metal was curved inward slightly and a hole ran down the center. The edges of the hole where sharp. Castiel picked up an apple, studied it and the tool, then pressed the tool against the apple so that the sharpened edge of the metal bit into the apple's skin. He pulled the tool carefully down the surface of the apple and was rewarded with a neat strip of skin. Twenty minutes later he had peeled the entire bag of apples. The strips of skin saved in a bowl to be given to the animals later. Sheila then gave him another implement and told him to core the apples. This had him stumped for a moment, mostly because he didn't know what it meant to "core" an apple. That is until he realized that the implements shape would allow the center, or core, of the apple to be removed without having to slice the apple in half.

Once he was done with that Sheila showed him how she wanted the apples sliced. This was easy, since all he had to do was slice each apple lengthwise into 16ths. A short while later he presented Sheila with the finished apples.

"Wow," she inspected the apples, "these are all perfect. I can't even slice this evenly. Are you sure you're not secretly a master chef?"

"I'm sure. I'm just very adept with a blade." Castiel replied.

Sheila laughed, "I've had a lot of hunters through here who were very adept with a blade as well, but they just butcher fruits and vegetables." She set the apples aside, "How do you feel about attacking some carrots?"

So Castiel spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen helping Sheila prep foods for the Thanksgiving feast. Even though the holiday was still 6 days away, Sheila liked to get as much done before hand as possible.

"We'll start getting guest coming as soon as Sunday and Monday," she explained as Castiel was chopping pecans, "They just start filtering in after they've finished up whatever hunt they're on."

A little while later Gary came into the kitchen. "Hey Sheil, are you busy?"

Sheila looked at her husband incredulously. She was currently trying to knead a very sticky dough, "Yes, I'm a little busy."

"I'm looking for the journal of Doug Adamson. I think it has something in it about the wendigo Fred is trying to track."

"Well I don't know where it is. Maybe Rina brought it downstairs, it could be one of the ones she was transferring to digital."

Gary sighed, "She's determined to drag hunters into the modern age."

"It's about time someone did. Google is only good for so much. Have Steve help you look." Shelia said.

Castiel had finished all of the tasks Sheila had given him, and was just cleaning up. He put down the cloth he was using to clean with, "I can help you if you need it."

"Great," Gary gestured for Castiel to follow him out of the kitchen.

They went down a hall and Gary opened a door that lead to the basement.

Gary and Sheila's basement was actually very nice. The walls were a warm beige color and soft carpet covered the entire floor. One corner had a small fridge, and a toaster oven on the counter next to a little sink. A cot was set up in the corner with a locked trunk next to it.

The rest of the basement reminded Castiel of a cross between a command center and a library.

Maps of the United States, South America, and Canada lined one wall. Each map was adorned with pins that had little flags on them. The flags had different letter combinations, **F.M.**, **D.L.**, **T.B.**, **S.D.W.**, were just a few of them, each letter combination had been assigned a color too. Gary turned on the computer that was sitting on a large table and several large, flat screens flickered on. The table, and a few shelves near it, were piled with neat stacks of books.

Gary began touching the main computer screen, "I'll check to see if she already entered it. You got through the books. Don't bother with the ones on the right, those have been entered. Just do the ones on the left and the shelves."

"What does it look like?" Castiel asked.

"Leather bound, has his family crest on it, I think it had something to do with a lion?"

Castiel began searching through the books. There were quite a few old journals and many books of lore. A lot were written in different languages, some were even lost languages.

"Damn, doesn't look like she has it on here. You having any luck?" Gary asked Castiel.

"None so far."

Gary came over to help and they both sifted through until finally Castiel asked, "Is this the one?"

"Yes!" Gary grabbed the book and begun flipping through it, "Where? Where? Ah, here we go." Gary started to read, but he seemed to be having trouble, "Ok, something about paths, many paths, no tunnels, wait. Um, something, something, damned soul, he must mean the wendigo."

Castiel came around and peered over the man's shoulder.

The journal was written in a perverted form of French.

"May I see it?" Castiel didn't wait for the answer, he just took the journal and begun reading. "The hunter, Adamson, says he tracked the wendigo to what he thought was its lair, but it turned out to be a vast network of tunnels with many exit points."

Gary looked impressed, "You can read French-Canadian?"

"Yes."

"Ok then," Gary pulled out his cell phone and began dialing, "I'll call, you read." He got ahold of the hunter, Fred Maxwell, and began relaying him information from the journal.

"So it looks like this wendigo has been plaguing the area since before the Europeans came over. No one has ever been able to kill it and Adamson figured out why. Seems it's made its home inside a network of tunnels."

"Great," Fred had been put on speaker, "so how am I suppose to find it? And how did Adamson?"

Castiel had been reading through all of the entries concerning Adamson's hunt for the wendigo. "I believe the reason Adamson was able to travers the tunnels safely is because he had come upon a small garrison of soldiers from a nearby fort." Castiel said, "They were out looking for several scouts who had gone missing. Adamson convinced them to come with him into the tunnels. Because of the large group the wendigo would not attack them directly."

"So why didn't this Adamson take all those soldiers and kill the damn thing?" Fred asked.

Castiel scanned through the next few entries, "They never saw the wendigo, only heard it. It kept its distance from them. Once they had found the missing scouts, the garrison's Captain refused to stay in the tunnels. Adamson had to retreat with them or risk being killed by the wendigo."

"So the best way to go at this thing," Gary said, "is with a large group. But you still have the problem of it hiding away where no one can get it."

"Huh," Fred said, "unless you happen to have a nuclear bomb handy?"

"That would probably be overkill, and could cause serious harm to the surrounding region," Castiel warned.

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," came Fred's reply.

Gary chuckled, "Well a nuclear bomb might be a bit much, but what about some C4?"

"Say, that's an idea," Fred said, "plant enough of that stuff in the tunnels it should bring the whole thing down. But I still need some back up."

"Hang on a sec," Gary went back to the computer, "Looks like Jonas, Harold, and Remy aren't too far from you. Want me to divert them up your way."

"Will that be enough?"

Gary tapped the computer screen a bit more, Castiel came around to see what he was doing. Gary had a map of the Northwestern United States pulled up. There were several dots on the screen that were pulsing. Next to each dot were a few letters. Three dots were clumped together near the Nebraska, Wyoming border. Gary pointed at another dot in Idaho, "Tracy's not too far away either. And I know Don is heading towards us, I'll just divert him up to you. Think that will be enough?"

"Should be," Fred replied, "especially if I get some of the mountain men up here to come with us. They think it's a grizzly or cougar that's causing the disappearances. If the thing stays away from large groups we won't even have to convince them monsters are real."

"Always preferable." Gary said.

"Well thanks Gary and you too, uh.."

"Steve," Castiel provided.

"Steve, thanks. Tell Sheila we'll try to get this sorted out quickly so we won't miss Thanksgiving."

"You'd better not, you're taking half of her guest list." Gary laughed.

They said goodbye to Fred, then Gary placed a few other phone calls telling the various hunters to head to northern Montana to help deal with the wendigo.

While Gary was making his calls, Castiel sat down in front of the computer. The program Gary had been using seemed to be the one that corresponded to the maps on the wall.

Gary got off the phone and sat down next to Castiel, "Checking out Rina's program?"

"What is it for?" Castiel asked.

"Rina has been trying to get hunters organized. Wants to create a computer system that hunters can access for information. Everything from lore, to current hotspots of activity, and this," he gestured to the map on the screen, "tracks hunters locations."

"She tracks hunters?" This was concerning.

"Yup, this one shows the current location of the hunters who have agreed to be tracked. Rina gave them each a GPS to put in their boot. It means we can always see who's where. As you saw it's great when you have a hunter who needs help, we can see who's nearby. It also helps if a hunter goes missing, if the GPS is still on them we can find them easy. If not, well at least we know where to start looking. Unfortunately she didn't get this into place until after Garth disappeared." Gary added.

It sounded like an excellent strategy. Castiel was concerned that there was an ulterior motive.

"Now these," Gary pulled up a new map covered in dots, "are known hunter kills. The hunters we know call in their hunt, then we mark them on the board." Gary pointed to one of the pins, "see they have the initial of the hunter. Then whenever Rina is here she enters it into the computer. The different types of monsters and stuff are color coordinated, helps identify areas of high activity."

"What does she do with the hunter data?" Castiel asked.

"She uses it to track movements and pin point if a hunter has a home base. See here are Timmy and Ned." The dots disappeared and instead blue and yellow stars were clustered in one small area of Colorado. "So from this it's pretty easy to tell where their home base is, if you didn't already know."

"Why does knowing a hunter's home base help?"

"Not all hunters are buddies with each other. And a lot of the old networks are gone. This allows us to find new hunters, try to get them to join the network."

"What if they have a home base but still travel the country?"

"Response time." Gary replied.

"Response time?"

"A hunter with a home base will have faster response time to hunts in their area. Let me show you," Gary touched the screen a few more times, "this is Garth, before he disappeared. The bigger stars represent a hunt that he got to quickly. Now while there are a few scattered around, most of them are right in this area. And smack dab in the middle is where Garth's house boat is."

Castiel absorbed this information. He was beginning to suspect something. With all this information being fed to her, Emma could probably track any hunter. Even the ones who wanted to stay hidden

"I've gotta go feed the animals," Gary told him, "how bout lending me a hand?"

"Actually, would it be alright if I stayed down here a little while longer," Castiel was still studying the map, "I'd like to learn how it all works."

"Sure thing," Gary stood to leave, "Rina keeps her system pretty simple. She's trying to get me to learn everything she's doing down here, but all I can do are the basics. Maybe you'll have more luck."

Castiel waited until Gary had gone back up the stairs. Then he began to explore the map program. He had watched Gary and noticed there was a menu with different options and from there, several sub menus. He tried several different things until he got the results he wanted. The map was now displaying green stars. And the map title read, **Sam and Dean Winchester**. Castiel felt as though he had swallowed something large and heavy. The map showed stars all across the country, but northwestern Kansas had a large number of the bigger stars. Lebanon, Kansas was almost directly in the middle of them. Emma had figured out the Winchester's home base. Castiel played with the program a little more until the map was displaying Emma's hunts as well. The resulting pattern was surprising. Emma had a lot of the bigger stars in Colorado. It made sense because she was at Gary and Sheila's often. There were also a fair amount of the bigger stars in northern Maine. But what had Castiel confused was that she rarely traveled into the area that showed the most big stars from the Winchesters.

In fact, it appeared she was specifically avoiding it.

Castiel closed the map program and begun looking through other files on the computer. He found the database Gary had mentioned. It was sorted alphabetically with the names of many supernatural creatures. He noticed that Amazon was missing. He went through several other files on the desktop but didn't find anything interesting. At Gas 'n Sip, Castiel had had to learn their computer system. It had been a complicated system but he had eventually mastered it. He put that knowledge to use now and started searching through folders. He didn't have much luck for quite a while. He found what looked like Gary and Sheila's financial records. A few flow charts that tracked recent upturns in monster activity.

He finally found something interesting when he was trying to navigate through several files that detailed different hexes and spells. It was an encrypted file. He tried opening it up but it required a password. Castiel tried a few different words and phrases in different languages, with no luck. He thought about asking Gary if he knew the password, but he wasn't sure if the old hunter would appreciate him snooping through the computer. What should he do? He had no idea how to break an encryption on a computer.

The answer was so obvious he felt kind if stupid when he finally thought of it. He pulled out his cellphone and dialed the number from memory. It picked up after three rings.

_"Hello?"_

"Hello Sam, it's Castiel."

_"Cas! How are you doing? Is everything ok? Do you need me to get Dean?"_

"NO!" Castiel calmed himself, "I mean everything is fine." He did not need Dean finding out he was hunting again. Not yet. "I actually called because I need your help Sam."

_"Oh,"_ Sam sounded surprised, _"what do you need help with?"_

"I need to decrypt a file on a computer."

_"Why do you need a file decrypted? Is it for a case?"_

Castiel had forgotten how many questions Sam could ask. "A friend of mine accidentally encrypted a file on their computer. I thought you could help."

_"You're friend accidentally encrypted a file?"_

"Yes."

_"Oookay, well if it's just one file then there are some websites that will break an encryption for you. Are you connected to the internet?"_

Castiel checked the little icon at the lower right hand corner, "I am."

_"Alright, let's see what we can do for your, um, friend."_

Castiel typed in the web address Sam gave him and followed all of his instructions. "Sam, it's telling me it can't break the decryption."

_"Huh, must be a pretty hardcore decryption then. Ok, let's try another site."_

Two websites later and getting Kevin on conference call, which was only mildly helpful because the prophet sounded inebriated, the file was decrypted.

"Thank you, Sam."

_"No problem Cas, maybe you should tell your friend the next time they accidentally encrypt something, they shouldn't be so thorough."_

Castiel had already begun skimming threw the file, "Yes, I will be sure to do that."

_"Hey, Cas?"_

The tone of Sam's voice caused Castiel to pay attention again. "Yes?"

_"Are you sure you're ok? I mean, do you need anything? Cause I'm sure we could find a way to make the bunker safe from angels."_

"No Sam, that isn't necessary." Castiel didn't want Sam to have to worry about him, "I'm actually staying with some people right now, hunters."

_"Oh, hey that's great. What are their names? Maybe we know them."_

"Gary and Shelia Brooks."

_"Ok, I've heard of Gary Brooks, but never met him. Are you happy there?"_

Castiel smiled, it was a very Sam thing to want to make sure someone was not only safe, but happy too. "Yes, I am. I have even been invited to their Thanksgiving dinner. Well not so much invited as informed I am going to come for it. I even helped peel apples for pies today."

Castiel smiled even more when he heard Sam's laugh coming across the phone, _"Homemade apple pie? Dean will be so jealous, we're just going to go to our favorite diner here for Thanksgiving."_

"Uh, Sam, I was wondering if you could not tell Dean about helping me decrypt a file. I just, don't want him to worry."

_"Don't worry Cas, your secret is safe with me. But I might have to torment him about the pie."_

After Castiel hung up with Sam he turned back to the file. It actually turned out to be several files within a folder. The first one that caught his eye was marked, **Carver Edlund/Supernatural.** Castiel opened it.

It was several more files the first being called **Lazarus Rising**. After opening it Castiel realized the files must each be a book that Chuck Shirley had written but never published. He skimmed through the first one, it was very accurate. And now he understood why Sam And Dean didn't like the Supernatural books. It was very disconcerting to read about yourself. Castiel wasn't sure why Chuck had felt it necessary to take up an entire paragraph just to describe his eye color.

Castiel closed the file and navigated back to the main index. Another file was titled **DW**. Castiel opened it and found multiple files that contained all sorts of information about Dean. Everything from his arrest record, to newspaper articles about the several times he was accused of being a serial killer, school records, eye witness accounts of hunts. There was a surprising amount of it.

He found a similar file, **SW**, with everything that could be found on Sam, including his college transcripts. Castiel was becoming increasingly convinced that Emma was researching the Winchesters, especially Dean. But to what end?

Castiel kept digging.

When he find what appeared to be a log he became very interested.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Entry #1 <em>**

_I've left the tribe. _

_It's weird to see that written here. But I think it's been coming for some time. I have become increasingly belligerent and refusing to follow orders. Those are Queen Madeleine's exact words. I wasn't at first. I was the model daughter. So proud to be an Amazon, never once hesitating during initiation and training. And then it was revealed I was Madeleine's chosen next in line. The future queen. The greatest fighter the Amazons had seen since Queen Myrine, centuries ago. It should have been enough. Heck, it should have been more than enough. Instead I started to have doubts. Why did we do things the way we did? Why did we have to kill the men who fathered us? Why had we stopped hunting monsters? Why had we ourselves become monsters? It drove Madeleine and my mom insane. Can't say I blame them, it was driving me insane too. I'm different from my sisters, I think I feel more than them is the problem. But Madeleine decided that the problem was I hadn't killed my father. So off I was sent to hunt him down and kill him. I only took what I needed for the journey. Anymore would have made them suspicious. I think I already knew then that I wasn't coming back. Because I knew I couldn't kill him. And I don't mean incapable of it. I'm 100% positive I'd kick his ass in a fight. I just could bring myself too. I tracked him down anyway. I had some dumb idea in my head that I could just walk up to him and say something like, "Hey, remember that time you had an Amazon daughter? We'll I'm her, let's go kill some stuff."_

_Fortunately I came to my senses before I caught up with him. He was in Washington state with his brother. They were on the run from the Leviathan so it wasn't easy. But I still found him. They were squatting in a home that had been foreclosed. The Impala was nowhere to be seen. I stood outside waiting for him to come back. There were a lot of prostitutes in the area so one more girl standing on a street corner didn't stand out. He came back to the house, carrying some sort of take out. A few of the girls on the opposite side of the street from me called out to him. Asking if he needed some company. He just ignored them. He went into that abandoned house. And I just stood outside, watching. A short while later his brother had shown up. I finally left. So now I'm on my own. I've always been a part of something larger. Now I'm alone. I don't like it. _

**_Entry #5 _**

_I've decided to become a hunter. It seemed like the logical course of action. Otherwise I might just die from boredom. I was in upstate New York when I heard about a possible haunting. I figured I had nothing else to do, might as well check it out. Turned out to be the most fun I've had, ever. And it was just a ghost, imagine how much fun vampires or werewolves would be. Of course I need to be careful, because HE is a hunter too. I wouldn't want to accidentally run into him. It wouldn't be a good idea for many reasons._

**_Entry #8_**

_ A Werewolf is defiantly more fun than just a ghost._

**_Entry #23_**

_It was a moment of weakness, but I Googled my father. I know, bad idea. I found quite a bit actually. I'm very curious how someone gets accused of being a serial killer, fakes their death, then turns up alive, gets chased by the FBI, dies again, then a couple years later ends up on another killing spree with their brother. It has to be an interesting story._

_I hacked the FBI and erased their records, including pictures, video, fingerprints. Even ordered all DNA samples to be destroyed._

_Then I erased them both from the internet. I kept copies of everything for myself, I'm not sure why._

**_Entry #40 _**

_I've met another hunter. I use the word hunter with great reservation. His name is Garth and he's 100 pounds soaking wet. I was tracking a shifter when I came across him. He was hunting the shifter too (again I'm using the word hunting with reservation). Garth offered to work with me. I wasn't to sure, mostly because he looked like a stiff breeze would knock him over. But also because I worried that making connections would become a liability. But Garth is one of those people who hangs on until he just starts growing on you. So no matter how many times I told him to get lost he just ignored me. Smiling and spouting inner peace stuff at me. He didn't even leave when I offered to remove a piece of his innards. Then the shifter, for no apparent tactical reason, decided to impersonate Garth. I know shifters are really strong, but seriously don't turn into a guy who's basically a walking toothpick. It was pretty easy to spot the differences. The shifter just couldn't pull the whole Zen thing off. So I picked it up and broke it over my knee. Ok not really, but I could have. I am really not exaggerating how skinny Garth is. After I rescued the great white idiot, he told me about a hunter network he was part of. I told him I wasn't interested. He gave me his number anyway. I threw it away. He called me a week later to see if I could help another hunter who was trying to take care of a vamp nest. Like an idiot I went and helped. Now I know two other hunters._

_It's nice to know people. _

**_Entry #52 _**

_Finally met Gary and Shelia. Garth has been bugging me about it for over a month. I had talked to Gary over the phone a couple of times but didn't want to meet them. Then I managed to get a punctured lung while hunting a demon. So I needed a place to lie low for a bit. Gary's place was nearby so I headed there. Told him I had just cracked a rib, otherwise he might have drug me off to a hospital. Ended up spending over a week there. It was only two days in when I just couldn't take the lack of organization Gary and Garth had when it came to the hunter network. I got a local nerd squad to come out and install an awesome computer system. I then found a few good programs and modified them for my needs. I entered all the current data Gary and Garth have and tried to explain to them how the programs worked. I might have better luck explaining string theory to a first grader. So I stuck around a few more days to make sure they got the basics. But I'm not going to get involved in this. Just helping out. _

**_Entry #53_**

_Who am I kidding I'm involved. _

**_Entry #72_**

_ I need to be more careful. Don told me he had heard about a group of women going into a town after a hunt. They were asking about the hunters, specifically if any of them were female. Then Tracy reported several women staking out her hotel room. Nothing happened and they left so she's not even sure if it had anything to do with her. I didn't tell her that the reason they left her alone was because they realized she was the wrong brown-haired, female hunter. I thought after all this time I might be ok. But it Looks like Madeleine isn't going to just forget about me._

**_Entry #103_**

_Gary just called me to see if I knew where Garth was. I told him he was on a werewolf hunt but I didn't know where. Gary is worried because he can't get ahold of him. Knowing Garth he broke his phone. I'll go check his house boat in a few days, make sure he's not dead._

**_Entry #106_**

_Garth isn't at his house boat, in fact no one is, not even the little prophet kid. And the placed looked really clean, which was the biggest clue. Last time I was there I had to wade through takeout containers, liquor bottles, and skin mags. I started combing the place from top to bottom, finally found the tiniest bit of sulfur. Apparently demon's are figuring out how to cover their tracks. Or Garth's maid just happened to come through recently._

**_Entry #133_**

_Sheila told me I need to find a nice guy._

_She didn't understand why I started laughing._

**_Entry #147_**

_Still no sign of Garth. He'd better not be dead or I'm going to bring him back to life, then kill him._

**_Entry #186_**

_The GPS tracking system is working great. Now we just have to find more hunters to use it. If I have one more old geezer tell me he "don't need no technology", I'm going to punch them in the face. Then explain what a double-negative is._

**_Entry #194_**

_Tracy stopped by today. She was coming from a hunt that turned into a kidnapping. She told me she met Sam and Dean Winchester. She admitted that maybe they weren't so bad. And she thinks Dean is hot._

_I listened with just the right amount of interest, but not too much._

_Then I made her tell me everything she learned about Abbadon._

**_Entry #201 _**

_I was tracking this group of vamps. They went up into Idaho and must have joined up with another group cause suddenly there were way more than I was prepared to deal with. Plus they had a hellhound. How did they get a hellhound? Does hell have an Adopt a Hellhound Day? I managed to kill the hellhound, those things are ugly by the way, then I decided on a tactical retreat. Which is not the same as running away._

_I thought I had lost them and I was low on gas so I stopped at a Gas n' Sip in Rexford. Went in to get supplies and the first thing I notice was the guy working there. I've been around guys who would be a good strong mate, but holy cow, this guy was just oozing strength and power. I had to work very hard to keep my manner calm and casual, and turn off the charm. Some charm might have sneaked out._

_The vampires attacking was a rather nice distraction._

_And then I had to drag poor Steve along with me cause I certainly couldn't leave him to be eaten. Though I have decided he must be a hunter because he has an angel blade and didn't seem very fazed by a bunch of vamps out to kill us. Poor guy did end up with a concussion, felt kind of bad about that. So I got him a hotel room, no way was he staying in mine, and fixed him up._

_He fell while in the shower. _Naked!_ In the shower! Oy vey!_

_I had every intention of sending him home the next day, but apparently he had been sleeping in the back of that gas station. So now I felt like a total jerk. Wait, did I mention I burnt down the gas station? I burnt down the gas station, so he had no where to go._

_Then the police showed up and I had to deal with them. I played the female card. :)_

_I took Steve to breakfast and he agreed to let me take him to Gary and Sheila's place. I had this thought in my mind that I would just bring him, drop him off, then leave again._

_But every time I look at him I just see this sad, lost expression. I want to just wrap him in a hug and tell him it will be ok._

_I'll just make sure he's settled in here, then take off._

_Then have the Jeep detailed to get his scent out._

**_Entry #202_**

_Timmy and Ned need some help. I think getting Steve back into hunting will help him a lot._

_Then I'll leave._

_Maybe his scent in the Jeep can stay._

* * *

><p>Castiel was aware of Sheila bringing him dinner at some point. It was some sort of chicken dish, but he just ate it automatically without really tasting it, eyes glued to the computer screen as he read through Emma's journal.<p>

After he finished the journal he looked through the computer a bit more. He didn't find anything interesting so he turned his attention to the rest of the room. He realized Emma must be using this room every time she stayed at Gary and Sheila's.

He spotted the trunk and went to inspect it. It was a very sturdy design, made of cedar and bronze. There was an inscription on it, written in Greek,

**Tò peprōménon phygeîn adýnaton.**

_It's impossible to escape from what is destined_

There was a lock on it. Castiel shook his blade free and used it to break the lock open. Inside were several books written in Greek. They were all about Amazons. He flipped one of the books open and read a few random pages.

_The Amazons have the ability to pass on knowledge from parent to child. This is why the Amazon looks not only for a strong mate, but also one who is knowledgeable. The Amazon warrior of child bearing age can sense a mate's compatibly and desirableness._

_The ancient Amazons fought against the abominations and the unclean spirits that walked the earth. Villages would often leave offerings for Amazons to entice them to settle nearby, thus offering the village protection from evil. The Amazon Queen is still given gifts of tribute, where ever she goes._

There was also a long bronze dagger. Several pieces of jewelry that looked quite expensive, including a diamond necklace nestled in a light blue box.

He found the paperback copies of Chuck Shirley's early books. They appeared to have been read often.

The final item was a sketchbook. Castiel flipped through the book. It was filled with pencil drawings of different people. Several were of Dean, he was either wearing a suit and tie, or he was dressed casually, carrying several boxes of fast food. There were a lot of a woman with long hair, and a few of a young woman with dark skin and braided hair.

Castiel put everything back into the trunk except for the book on Amazons he had already started reading. He didn't bother closing the trunk though, since the lock was broken. He sat down on the cot and began to read. The last thing he remembered reading, before he fell asleep, was,

_The reason for the discord between the Seraph and the Amazon is unknown. Though it is believed to date back to before the creation of the Amazons by the goddess Harmonia. Whatever the reason may be, it has resulted in the almost complete inhalation of the Amazon race._

* * *

><p>"Steve?"<p>

Someone was shaking his shoulder.

"Steve?"

"Hmmm?"

"Did you sleep down here?"

Castiel opened his eyes and saw Sheila standing over him. She looked concerned.

Castiel sat up, the book he had been reading fell to the floor.

Sheila looked at the book, then at Emma's trunk.

"What time is it?" Castiel asked.

"Just after 7."

"At night?"

"No dear, it's 7 in the morning."

Castiel stood up quickly. Sheila jumped out of his way. He went to the computer and pulled up the map that showed the GPS tracker. Emma was still in Colorado, much further south, in the city of Durango. Castiel turned to Sheila.

"I need a vehicle."

Sheila glanced between him and the computer. She smiled, "You can borrow Gary's truck."

Castiel followed her up the stairs and into the kitchen. Gary was seated at the table eating his breakfast.

"Steve needs to borrow the truck," Sheila told him.

"Why?"

"He's going to go get Rina." Sheila started grabbing different food items and began assembling some sandwiches.

"Why can't he just call her?"

"I tried to last night," Castiel told him, "she won't answer."

Gary sighed and fished his keys out of his pocket.

"Sounds like her. The truck is low on gas."

"Oh that reminds me." Sheila said, "give him one of the emergency credit cards. And here," she handed Castiel a plate of scrambled eggs, "eat up while you're waiting."

Fifteen minutes later, Castiel had a cooler filled with sandwiches and drinks, a credit card with no limit, and instructions on how to use the GPS on his phone.

"Stop at the first gas station on the corner to fill her up." Gary told him, giving him a pat on the back, "and good luck with Rina."

Sheila was beaming at him, "I'm sure everything thing will get straightened out between you two. And remind Rina she needs to pick up 5 pounds of yams."

"I will, and thank you for your help."

He got in the truck and headed out to find Dean's daughter.

* * *

><p><em>I'm going to try to get Chapter 9 up by tomorrow, however a case of Bronchitis is slowing me down. And I accidentally deleted a bunch of it. :( If you would like to keep up with news on the story, visit my Tumblr page blogzifnabsdragon -JJ_


	9. Chapter 9 - Emma

I wish somebody would empty my head,

I am so sorry for the things that I've said.

This hopeless feeling that's living inside,

I'm just a lonely soul who's trying to find,

Some peace of mind

-Peace of Mind by Black Sabbath

Emma didn't remember much of her mad dash away from Manitou. She had been about 10 minutes down the road before she even thought to call Ned to go get Steve.

After that she just kept driving for another hour until she was past Peublo. She pulled over to grab a quick snack, then was off again. She cranked the music up in the Jeep. Wanting the sound to just crash over her and sweep all thought away.

Her phone ringing didn't help. Mostly because it was Sheila, Emma had a pretty good guess what the woman wanted. She ignored the first two calls, finally pulling over to answer the third.

"I'm driving Sheila, did you need something?"

"You know exactly why I'm calling," Sheila was using her 'mother voice', as Timmy liked to call it, "what happened between you and Steve?"

"Is he there? At your house, I mean."

"He's here, the question is why aren't you?"

Emma sighed, "It's complicated."

"Well get back here and un-complicate it," Sheila huffed. "It's as if you purposely want to sabotage this relationship."

"Whoa, what relationship? I'm not in a relationship."

Sheila hummed, sounding totally unconvinced, "Sure dear, you're just friends," Emma could practically hear the eye roll, "That's why Steve looks miserable, and you sound upset."

"I'm not upset," she clenched the steering wheel causing the right knuckle of her hand to twinge. She had punched the bathroom wall when she had stopped for gas earlier. It wasn't because she was upset. The wall color had just been that ugly.

"Oh honey," Sheila sighed, "why do you do this to yourself?"

"What do you mean," Emma pinched the bridge of her nose, she was getting a headache, "do what?"

"Run from the good guys."

Emma groaned, "I'm not running, and Steve is just some guy I found accidentally. That doesn't mean we are in a relationship."

Sheila huffed, "Fine, your just "friends with benefits".

"I'm not sleeping with him either!"

"Really?" Sheila sounded honestly perplexed, "why not?"

Emma banged her head on the steering wheel, "Because he's a good guy," she sighed.

"Well you're a good girl."

No, Emma thought, I'm really, really not.

"I can't do this right now," she told Sheila.

Something in her voice must have gotten through to the older woman.

"Fine then, I will drop it."

"Thank you," Emma sighed.

"I need you to bring 5 pounds of yams when you come back." Sheila told her.

This time Emma groaned and banged her head down on the steering wheel, "I'm not coming to Thanksgiving dinner, I told Steve I would stay away from him."

"Oh you're coming young lady. I don't care what issues you and your not boyfriend are having."

"I'm hanging up now Sheila."

"Remember, 5 pounds, fresh not canned," Sheila told her.

"You'd better send Gary for them."

* * *

><p>Emma drove on, but the thrum of the road and the loud beat of the music couldn't keep her thoughts at bay anymore.<p>

She was such an idiot!

How had she not figured out who 'Steve' really was. Not that she technically knew who he really was. He could just be a random hunter who knew Dean Winchester. A random hunter with blue eyes, messy dark hair, tall and lean, carried around an angel blade that he wielded like he'd been doing it for eons.

Oh crap.

She had left before anything else could happen. Ok, technically she ran, but who could blame her. She had just found out that the guy she had picked up at a gas station (no wonder people thought they were sleeping together) was probably, most likely her estranged father's best friend.

She was sure what Sheila had said was true. He probably was miserable. He had probably already called Dean to tell him that his supposedly dead Amazon daughter was running around burning things down.

And that she had been using him to get to Dean. Because what other logical explanation could there be. Who would believe that their meeting had been chance.

Emma yanked the wheel and pulled over again, skidding to a halt in the gravel at the side of the road. She cut the engine, and just sat there.

Cars and trucks sped by her, occasionally one would be going fast enough to rock her big vehicle. She just stared at the hood of her Jeep, not really seeing it.

She was such an idiot.

Her chest hurt. It felt like when she had decided to leave the tribe. She hadn't wanted too, they were her family. They wanted her to kill her other family, and she just couldn't. So she had to make a choice. She knew it was the right one, it made it easier to not turn around and go back.

But now, sitting in her Jeep on the side of the road, she wanted to turn around. She wanted to race back to Woodland Park. She wanted to find Steve and explain everything to him, make him understand.

But she shouldn't do any of that, because she had made the right decision.

Right?

* * *

><p>Who knows how long she would of sat there if her phone hadn't rung again. This time it was Gary.<p>

Emma sighed, and answered it, "Tell Sheila to get the sweet potatoes herself."

"What?" Gary's confused voice came over the Bluetooth, "I'm calling about a case, not Thanksgiving."

"Oh," Emma perked up, a case would be a great distraction, "tell me about it."

She heard some papers rustling in the back ground, "It's in Durango, a bunch of people have suddenly become violent, even to the point of killing. Now these are folks who have been described by their friends and family as being nice decent people. Most any of them have on their records are a few speeding tickets."

"So, maybe demonic possession?" Emma had pulled out a pad and pen and was taking notes.

"I don't think so," Gary replied, "some are in jail now and the violent behavior has continued. They've been having to put them in separate cells."

Emma hummed in thought, "Demons either wouldn't let themselves be caught or they'd just smoke out and find a new meat-suit."

"That's why I'm thinking it's got to be something else."

"Alright I'll go check it out. Wait a minute," Emma had pulled up her GPS, it showed she was about an hour south of Durango, "is this some sort of plan by Sheila to get me to head back towards you guys?"

"Not unless she's the cause of people losing their sanity, just so you would be here for Thanksgiving." Gary chuckled.

"I wouldn't put it past her."

"That reminds me," Gary said, "she needs you to pick up some yams."

"You know, there is a Walmart in town, I'm sure you guys could get your friggin' yams there."

"Sheila says you do a better job picking them out."

"Goodbye, Gary."

* * *

><p>Emma got to Durango and found a hotel room. It was near dinner time so she went to the closest restaurant and ordered the special. She wolfed it down, her body happy to have some calories again. After, she got changed into her FBI pantsuit and went to work.<p>

Since it was after dinner, most of the people she wanted to talk to at the sheriff's office had gone home. So she talked to witnesses.

Most told her what she had already heard from Gary. They had been nice people who would never do the things they had been accused of. Except for now they were not acting like themselves. The mother of a college student was in tears over her son's sudden change in behavior.

"I've heard sometimes brain tumors can cause sudden acts of violence," she said around sobs, "they are allowing us to get him checked out at the hospital tomorrow."

Emma gave the woman her card and asked her to call when she knew the results.

There was a reason why ancient cultures had blamed evil spirits for certain aliments. There were quite a few creatures who's attacks mimicked illness. Emma could think of a few of the top of her head that would cause sudden violence in its victims.

It was the last interview of the evening that brought the most results.

The man in question had always been a pillar of the community. Active in several volunteer positions and a devout Catholic. Until he had been driving home with his wife, they got into an argument, and in a fit of rage, drove their car into a tree. On purpose.

Fortunately, it had been one if those super safe cars with enough airbags to keep the Titanic afloat. So the man and his wife had escaped with minor injuries.

Emma had decided to visit his church and arrived just after evening mass.

She watched as people filed out. Several alter boys were tidying up, as one of the priests visited with a few parishioners. Emma's eye caught site of a man in the brown robes of a monk of the Franciscan order. He was whistling and swinging the knotted cord around his waist. Emma smiled as she made her way over to him.

"Good evening Father."

The monk stopped and smiled at her.

"Good evening child," his voice was young and cheerful, "what can I do for you this evening?"

Emma liked him immediately. While some men of the cloth could be rather stuffy, Emma had met many who had wicked senses of humor, and a perpetually cheerful out look on life.

"Agent Clark with the FBI," she pulled out her badge, she noticed the slight frown on the father's mouth. "I'm investigating the recent acts of violence that have cropped up in town."

This time the father's frown was complete. All of the cheer left his eyes and he just looked tired and sad.

"You're here to talk about Jerry?" He was now running his fingers over the rosary beads at his side, it looked to Emma as though he were doing it for comfort. He gestured to a bench nearby, "Would you like to take a seat?"

Emma nodded, and followed the monk over to an out of the way spot. They passed a bowl of holy water on their way.

The monk didn't even look at it. As Emma passed she dipped her fingers in, then when she sat down next to him, casually flicked a few drops onto his hand.

He started a bit at the moisture, looked up to figure out where it had come from, and wiped his hand off with his sleeve. It never hurt to be careful.

"So Father..?"

"Michael," he supplied.

"Father Michael, what can you tell me about the type of man Jerry was?"

Father Michael smiled sadly, "I can tell you his whole life story. We grew up on the same street, he and my little brother were best friends. That's why I just can't believe he could do anything like this."

"You should know as well as anyone, people can hide their true selves from the world." Emma was purposely trying to goad him. She wanted him to defend Jerry, thus giving Emma some clues hopefully.

It worked like a charm.

"You don't understand," Father Michael began, "Jerry had a rough upbringing. His father was a violent alcoholic. Sometimes when things got really bad his mom would send him to stay the night with us. His dad never hit him, but his mom was often seen with bruises. Finally when Jerry was twelve his dad put his mom in the hospital. Friends from the church helped her get the courage to divorce him. After that Jerry was determined to never be like his father. He refuses to drink, and when he started having anger issues in high school, he signed himself up for counseling." Father Michael paused, Emma could see he was trying to keep him emotions in check. "He still goes to a monthly meeting for anger management." Father Michael looked at Emma, "That's why I can't believe it was him that did this."

As Emma was puzzling the Father's statement, but then someone brushed passed them. The air was stirred up and Emma caught the faint whiff of incense coming of Father Michael. It wasn't the regular incense used for mass. Emma recognized its unique scent, it went with a unique ceremony.

"You preformed on exorcism on him."

Father Michael looked up, startled, "How do you know that?"

"The incense, I can smell it on your robes. The kind only used for exorcism of evil spirits."

Father Michael studied her, "This is something they teach you in the FBI?"

Emma smiled, "I'm with a special division. We often get handed the weird stuff. I've seen my share of demon possessions."

Father Michael digested this information, "Well, it wasn't demons this time."

"It didn't work?"

Father Michael shook his head.

Emma sighed, she had been holding out hope that this was just demonic possession. But a full on exorcism by a Catholic priest was not something even the most high level demons could resist.

"Is there anywhere Jerry went lately, some where new, right before this began?"

"Jerry is a civil engineer for the county, he goes out and does a lot of inspections. He's always going somewhere new," the monk told her.

Figured.

"Thank you Father, believe it or not you have been helpful." Emma stood to go.

Father Michael stood with her, "I'm not sure how."

"Sometimes the best we can do is eliminate possibilities," she gave him one of her tamest smiles, just to sooth him. She was gratified to see him relax a little and return the smile. "Here's my card, please feel free to call me if you think of anything else."

As Emma was leaving she felt eyes on her back. She decided not to turn around. It wouldn't be the first time someone had seen her with a male and wanted to make a stink about it. Some people were more sensitive to the supernatural, and even though they couldn't tell what she was, they knew something wasn't right. And she really didn't feel like being called a whore in the middle of a church after having just gotten done talking with a monk. Not today anyway.

It was late so she went back to her hotel. She had decided to splurge and stay at one of the nicer hotels that catered to tourists. It was the off season so she got a pretty good rate. She probably would have been willing to pay double, the suites had whirlpool tubs.

Emma ordered some room service, drew a bath, then raided the minibar. It seemed like a goodnight to drown her troubles in anyway possible. She had just gotten the bathroom setup how she wanted it when the room service arrived. She tipped the waiter and took the cheese and meat tray she had ordered to the bathroom. She cranked up her music, getting the corner room had been worth it, and sank into bubbly, steamy heaven.

Nope, not heaven, defiantly needed a different word. Bliss, bliss was good.

She cracked open the first little bottle of alcohol and poured herself a drink.

She ate, drank, listened to music, sang along loudly when random thoughts started to enter her head. All and all it was a successful problem-avoidance time.

But eventually the alcohol was gone, the bubbles had all popped, and her toes were so pruney she looked to be going on 100.

With a sigh she got herself out. She only bothered with a quick towel off then wrapped herself in one of the hotels luxury robes. She grabbed her iPod and changed it to some soft classical jazz. When she grabbed her iPhone she noticed she had missed a few calls.

They were all from Steve.

It was tempting to order a bottle of wine, but she did have a case she was working on. She should at least try to stay somewhat sober.

The bed was one of those pillow top things that made you feel like you were sleeping on a cloud.

No, not a cloud, clouds were bad. Marshmallows, much better.

They sell marshmallows at convenience stores.

Like the one she had burned down.

Where a guy she had though was named Steve worked.

Dammit!

Emma grabbed one of the fluffy, but not cloud-like pillows, and shoved her face in it.

She was not going to think about it. Nope. Not going to do it.

She'd think about the case. The case with people who were suddenly not acting like themselves. But weren't possessed because Father Michael had tried to exorcise his childhood friend but it hadn't worked. Father Michael was probably named for the Archangel. The one that her father was supposed to be the one-true vessel for. But he'd defeated Michael. With the help of an angel. Who may or may not be the guy Steve she had been dragging all over the mid-west. The guy who hated her now because he was convinced that she had been only using him to get to her father. Which is totally unfair because she hadn't even know who he was. I mean he didn't even act like an angel. No smiting, no flying around, no instantaneous healing. As a matter of fact, he seemed awful human for a guy who was suppose to be an angel. Which meant he couldn't be an angel, which meant he wasn't the guy she thought he was.

Of course all the angels had fallen. And the rumor was it had been a spell that had done it. And that a certain blue-eyed angel had had something to do with it. Emma had looked into what kind if spell could do that. All that she had found was it would need to be powered by something big. Like an angels grace. A grace, if extracted carefully, would leave the angel in question human. And if sent to earth this ex-angel would be powerless, and would need to hide themselves from other, understandably, pissed off angels.

An Enochian tattoo on their side would do it.

And if this ex-angel had, hypothetically, been abandoned by those he had called friends, he would be left to fend for himself in a world he didn't completely understand. He might even end up working and sleeping at a Gas 'n Sip. Until, of course, she had stumbled across him and burned down said Gas 'n Sip.

..

..

..

Maybe if she threw herself against the wall hard enough, she could knock herself out and stop thinking.

* * *

><p>The next day Emma quickly discovered interviewing the victims was the absolute worst way to try to keep her mind off her troubles.<p>

Mostly because she was having one if those days were everyone's face annoyed her.

The first was the college student who's mom thought he had a tumor. Emma decided to cut that one short because if the guy made one more lewd comment to her he was going to have some brain damage.

The next two were just as belligerent and unhelpful as they could possibly be.

The teenage girl was the most worrisome. She had tried to kill herself by setting her best friend's home on fire. They were moving her to an institution that day because she had become so despondent she wouldn't even eat.

Every time Emma asked her a question all the girl did was shrug her shoulders and ask why any of it mattered. She finally got a little reaction out of her as the girl's eyes went wide when she spotted the snickers bar Emma had shoved into her bag that morning. Emma immediately handed over the candy bar. As the girl devoured it Emma was finally able to learn something that might possibly be useful. The girl had been at a rave the night before her abrupt personality change. Emma got the location from the girl, then she dug threw her bag until she found a bag if peanut M&MS. As the girl was led out of the interview room, Emma noticed none of the cops tried to take the treat. One actually looked relieved to see the girl eating. Emma suspected the snack machine in the lobby was going to get raided soon.

Her last interview was Jerry. Emma couldn't recall seeing someone so angry before. At least not someone who was not a monster.

Three sentences into the interview and Jerry had already insulted Emma five times.

She closed her eyes and counted to 20 in Greek.

She opened her eyes, smiled, and pushed every ounce of charm and coercion out, focused completely on the man in front of her.

The shift in his attitude was immediately noticeable. The sneer faded, his eyes glazed slightly, and Emma knew she had him.

"Why don't you tell me about the few days before you crashed your car." Emma coerced. "Anything unusual happen? Meet someone odd?"

Jerry's face contorted back to a sneer. "Thought you were from the FBI, not my therapist?"

Emma focused harder, she had never had this much of a hard time controlling a man before. It was as if she couldn't get a grip on him.

A sheen of sweat was gathering on her forehead, still nothing.

She did get a free lunch though, well several free lunches, from the officers helping her. So it wasn't a total waste of a day.

Back at her hotel room she went over everything she had.

It wasn't much.

Within a two week period people around town started acting differently. And not just a little, some had done complete 180's from how they normally were.

Take Jerry for example, history of anger problems that he kept careful control of. Suddenly years of self control went right out the window.

Emma thought of the despondent teenage girl. Her mother had told Emma that her daughter was one of those people that refused to let life get her down. She was always looking for the good in everything. Then overnight she becomes suicidal.

It was as if whatever was happening to these people was bringing out the worst in their personalities.

Emma puzzled over it for awhile, burying herself in research. She connected her laptop over the internet to the database she was creating at Gary's. After about and hour of trying to focus on the screen, she went back to her files. It was hard concentrating when blue eyes and dark hair kept floating in her vision.

As she looked over her write up on each known victim, for the umpteenth time, something struck her.

The majority of the victims were late teens or college age kids. She thought of the girl telling her she had been to a rave. Raves were usually held in out of the way, or abandoned areas. The type of place a civil engineer working for the county might end up for work.

Emma grabbed her phone and dialed the police station. It was getting late but she was able to get a hold of one of the officers who had brought her lunch today. He happily agreed to get her Jerry's work orders for the week leading up to the car crash.

It would take at least an hour, so she decided to get dinner.

* * *

><p>There were several restaurants within walking distance, Emma chose one at random.<p>

She hoped some fresh air would clear the troubling thoughts out of her head. It didn't work and by the time she was seated and had ordered she was wondering if Steve, she refused to acknowledge who he really could be, was getting a good dinner. He was at Gary and Sheila's, no way he'd go hungry there.

Unless he had left. Or for some reason was refusing to eat (this thought was probably being influenced by the teenage girl she had seen that day). Maybe she could just call Gary, give him an update on the case. Casually make sure Ca .. Steve was still there? Casually, ask what had been for dinner.

Emma barely acknowledged the complimentary nachos her server gave her. She didn't even realize she had been staring at them until a gravelly, all too familiar, voice said, "I've been told you're suppose to eat your food, not just stare at it."

She jerked her head up.

Holy Crap!

Sitting across from her in the booth was Steve. Blue-eyed, dark messy-haired, probably an angel, Steve.

"What the Hell are you doing here?!" Emma's outburst turned a few heads, including a stern looking lady who scowled at them.

"I'm looking for you, we didn't get to finish our earlier conversation." He was being so matter of fact, it actually threw her more than the angry out burst from the day before.

And, he was eating her nachos.

"There is nothing to finish. The conversation is over. Nothing left to discuss. You can leave." Emma grabbed a few nachos and stuffed them in her mouth. Can't talk with food in your mouth.

Steve looked at her, "I believe there is still quite a bit to discuss."

"Steve .."

"Its Castiel."

Emma felt her stomach drop to her knees.

"And you are Emma."

Now she felt like she was going to puke. A quick recon of the room didn't show any tall, menacing hunters lurking. Didn't mean they weren't there.

"Look, Stev.. Castiel, I honestly didn't know who you were.."

"I know." Castiel ate a few more nachos.

"You know? How?" Emma was confused, this was going very differently from the other day.

"I found your journal while helping Gary. It was very obvious from your writings that, not only are you are not out to get Dean, but are specifically avoiding him."

Emma's mouth had fallen open during this statement. She tried to form words, but just odd little sounds were coming out.

Finally, "You read my journal?"

"Yes, it was good that I found it. I admit I had come to several wrong conclusions about you and your intentions." Castiel did not seem to be getting why Emma was horrified.

"But, how, how did you read it?"

"On the computer." He was slowly working his way through the nachos closest to him.

"No, I mean, of course you read it on .. , it's encrypted!" Emma felt like her brain was trying to reason out too much. He had read her journal, he knew who she was, he didn't seem to upset about it. Or maybe he was just stalling her, keeping her talking. She checked out the restaurant again. Nothing suspicious except for the judgey lady who was still giving them dirty looks.

"I had to have Sam help me decrypt it."

"Sam?" her voice came out as a little squeak and her eyes darted around the restaurant again, worried the hunter's name would make him appear suddenly. "He knows? About me?"

"No, I didn't tell him about you."

Emma just stared at him for a moment. He hadn't told Sam? "Did you," she swallowed around the lump forming in her throat, "did you tell, um, him, about me?"

"You mean Dean? No."

Emma was silent a moment, then, "Why?"

Castiel tilted his head to the side, "I wanted to learn the entire story from you first."

The server came by and put down two orders of burgers and fries.

"I ordered myself some food when I came in," Castiel explained as he dove into the burger, "I don't know why but driving long distances in a vehicle increases ones appetite." He squirted ketchup on his fries, then, after a moment thought, squirted some on Emma's. "And this is probably going to take a while."

"I don't have time for a long conversation right now," she hedged, "I'm on a hunt."

"Yes, I know. Gary told me about it. Any leads?"

"Yeah, I got it under control," Emma scanned the restaurant again, she was still kind of expecting an ambush.

"I can help you," Castiel smiled at her. Emma looked away, she didn't want to see him smiling, or trusting.

"No that's ok, like I said, under control."

"I thought you wanted me to get back into hunting," he said as he stuffed some more fries in his mouth.

"I do, I just got this. But I bet Gary could find you a hunt. Somewhere else," Emma picked up a few fries but didn't actually eat them. Her stomach was still doing strange things. She just wanted to get Castiel to understand he needed to get away from her. For his own good.

"I'm already here, I might as well help you out."

"You can't stay!" As soon as she blurted it out, she regretted it. She didn't think Castiel could look more hurt if she had actually slapped him. He was frozen, hamburger halfway to his mouth, blue eyes looking at her in hurt confusion. "I just mean, you're not safe." His face crumpled even more and his breathing was becoming erratic. Like he was having a panic attack.

"Oh," he shakily put his burger down, "I, I understand," Emma wasn't sure she did, "I'm a liability. I'll go."

Emma lunged across the table and grabbed his hands before he could get up, "No. No that isn't what I meant."

He was looking at her hands, kicked puppy dog look still in full force.

"You're not a liability, Ste...Castiel, you've been a big help these past few days. I think Sheila wants to adopt you, quite frankly I don't blame her."

Castiel looked at her, his brow was creased in thought, and his mouth was turned down slightly. He looked confused, like what Emma was saying didn't make any sense.

"Why can't I stay then?" It came out very quietly, and Emma felt he was asking himself the question just as much as her.

"Because I'm hunted. My tribe, they are not happy I left. And they're not looking to hunt me down to kill me. They want to drag me back, and there is no level they wouldn't stoop to to make it happen." She let go of Castiel's hands, reluctantly. "That's why I've been avoiding, D," deep breath, "Dean. It's the first place they would look for me. I wouldn't be surprised if they've had someone trailing him ever since I left."

She could tell her words were starting to get through, but he still had the puppy dog eyes. She turned away, "I don't know if they know what you look like, I don't really want to find out. So, no, you can't stay."

The background chatter of the restaurant filled the silence between them.

Finally Emma pulled a few twenties out of her wallet and tossed them on the table. She got up to leave, but couldn't help pausing, "I'm kinda glad you found me though. I didn't like the idea that you probably hated me." As she was walking away she noticed the stern lady staring still.

"Can I help you?" she snarled at the lady.

The woman jumped, looked panicked at being called out, then she sniffed, "He's old enough to be your father."

Emma rolled her eyes as she walked away, "Lady, most guys are old enough to be my father."

* * *

><p>Back at the hotel Emma was relieved to find a fax waiting for her. It was the complete list she had asked for of Jerry's work orders. One place immediately stood out. An old factory on the edge of town. Perfect spot for a rave andor a creepy monster to hang out.

Without giving it much thought, she was generally trying not to think, she headed out to check it out.

She was sure she was announcing her presence quite well with her bass vibrating off the old brick walls. Thinking had become a dangerous reality on the way over, so she had turned her stereo up as loud as it could go. It was stupid and reckless to be so overt. It was fitting her mood though.

Grabbing some basic supplies, including her modified archangel blade, she headed into the factory. She immediately knew she was in the right place when she saw the remains of what looked to have been an awesome party. Broken black lights littered the ground along with what had to be several hundred used up glow sticks. Various articles of clothing lay abandoned everywhere, Emma wondered just how many people had gone home without their pants that night, and other items best not described. The whole place smelled of drugs, sweat, sex, and urine.

And demon.

Emma walked forward slowly, listening for any sounds. Nothing came to her but she could make out a faint glow coming from one of the upper levels. Carefully she made her way towards it. The closer she got the more convinced she became that whatever was making the light was not manmade. It was far too bright and pure looking for that.

The glow was coming from around a corner at the other end of a cat walk. It was an ideal place for an ambush. Emma contemplated the catwalk for a moment. Then shrugged her shoulders, and waltzed right across it.

The demon dropped down from above just as she was halfway across.

Emma smiled and slowly turned, when she was facing the demon she feigned surprised. "Oh hi, totally didn't notice you hanging from the rafters there. Don't mind me, just came to find my friend's pants."

The demon was an Asian male, his eyes turned black and he rushed Emma. The catwalk was narrow and shaky but Emma maintained her balance with ease. As the demon reached her she ducked down so his momentum rolled him onto her back, she grabbed one of his arms, stood, and threw him over the edge.

She watched him fall, "I hope that wasn't all there was."

Two more demons landed on the catwalk.

Emma grinned, "Good."

The demons came at her and she grabbed a chain overhead to lift herself. She kicked the one closest to the glowing side of the catwalk in the face and used their head to launch herself up and over. She landed neatly on the concrete floor and took off towards the glow. The demons were hot on her trail though. One must have done its throw-people-against-the-wall trick because she felt her feet slide out from under her. She rolled with it and came back up to face the charge.

Slipping her angel blade out of her sleeve, she caught the first demon in the gut. Pulling the blade out she quickly reversed her grip and got the second in the chest.

Emma stopped and waited, nothing else happened.

"That was, easy?" Something was not right. A voice from her right confirmed her fears.

"Well, I just needed them to keep you occupied while I made a call."

"Aw, crap!" Emma was so screwed. It was the stern, judgey lady from the restaurant. The one who had seen her with Castiel. "Please tell me you were calling for take out, cause as you know, I haven't eaten."

The demon smirked, "Where is your angel?"

Emma frowned, "I don't have an angel. Hear they're pretty free spirits." Emma took a small step back, the white glow was coming from behind her. Maybe whatever it was could help her get out of this situation. The situation she had walked into because she had been upset and wanted a fight.

It was not, admittedly, her finest moment.

"Don't get cute with me," the demon snarled, "I saw you with him at the restaurant."

"That guy? I was just hoping for a little fun. Turned out to be a bit too uptight for me. Or he's gay. Could be both." She took another step back.

This time it caught the demon's eye and the woman suddenly glance behind Emma to where the glow was coming from. Emma thought she saw a little panic there.

So she took one giant step back.

The demon started forward, got control of herself, and tried to act like nothing was wrong.

"Where is the angel?!" The demon yelled.

Emma reached slowly inside her jacket, "Don't know what you mean," Emma replied flippantly. She found what she was looking for and pulled it out.

Emma's idea of basic supplies often included a grenade.

The demon's eyes went wide and flashed to the glowing area.

Emma smiled, flicked the pin off, and tossed it behind her.

The demon wailed and rushed past Emma, supposedly to get the grenade. Emma didn't even try to stop her. She launched herself at the catwalk, swung over the edge, and dropped to the floor below.

The explosion over head shook the whole building and Emma had to dive behind some old shipping crates to avoid being hit by a huge chunk of ceiling. She had instinctively closed her eyes to the blast, but she thought she saw some streaks of bright, white light go by.

The noise of the explosion died down and things stopped falling. Emma peeked out from behind the shipping crates. No more glow, unless you counted the fire. And no demons.

She heaved a sigh of relief.

Then mentally kicked herself.

What was her problem? She knew better than to do any of the stupid crap she had pulled tonight. Who cares if she was upset. And the worst part was she had put Castiel in danger. What if the demon hadn't been so concerned with the glow. Or what if there had been more of them.

Emma stumbled as she suddenly recalled the stern demon, telling her she had been making a call.

That was as far as she got because suddenly she was being flung across the room by an unseen force. She hit the opposite wall with her back and a sharp, searing pain erupted in her shoulder. Her vision swam and she could just barely focus on the piece of re-bar that was sticking out of her right shoulder. She gripped it to take some the weight off her shoulder.

Then she heard the sound of high heels.

Emma looked up and saw a demon slowly picking her way through the rubble.

She was tall, dressed kind of like a biker chick, except her red hair was done up like a lady from the fifties. The red lipstick matched the time period too.

She stopped a few feet from Emma. Her smile sent a horrible chill down Emma's spine.

"I'm looking for an angel."


	10. Chapter 10 - Killer Queen

_Sorry I didn't post a chapter last week. Had a rough weekend that just never seemed to get any better even when it was over. Then I was having the hardest time getting this chapter to flow correctly. I'm a little nervous about it, hope everyone likes it. -JJ_

* * *

><p><em>Caviar and cigarettes,<em>

_Well versed in etiquette,_

_Extraordinarily nice._

_-Killer Queen by Queen_

Castiel arrived in Durango in the evening. He made a quick call to Gary to find out Emma's location. It lead him to a nice hotel. He wasn't sure how to find her from there.

Should he just wait out front? He could try calling her again. But it had occurred to him that there was the chance she had left because once she knew who he was she didn't

want to have anything to do with him.

His indecision actually paid off because Emma came walking out of the hotel while he was trying to decide what to do. Castiel followed behind her as she headed to a nearby

restaurant, keeping his distance. She was wearing a pair of scruffy jeans and her leather jacket was pulled close to protect her for the chilly evening. Castiel noticed she

seemed a bit dejected. Normally one to keep her head up and meet anyone with a challenging gaze, she was now walking a little slower, head down, shoulders slumped.

When she was seated in the restaurant, Castiel still hesitated to approach her. Was this even a good idea? It wouldn't be the first time he put his faith in the wrong person.

It was the sight of her staring at her food morosely, that made him act.

She had looked completely perplexed to see him. But not angry, which gave Castiel a boost of confidence.

Then she'd said it.

The exact words Dean had said to him.

"You can't stay."

Once again he wasn't needed because he was useless. A liability. His thoughts had gone fuzzy, his chest hurt and it felt like he couldn't get the right amount of air. He had

moved to leave when strong, warm hands had grabbed his. Emma had explained why it wasn't safe to be around her. Then she left.

Castiel had sat at the table a little longer.

She had a good point. Wasn't his being hunted the same reason he couldn't be around Sam and Dean? Those looking for him would hurt his friends to get to him. But if both

he and Emma were being hunted, wouldn't staying together be safer? They could watch each other's backs.

The server had wrapped Emma's food to go, so Castiel grabbed it as he left.

He was only a block from the restaurant when he realized he was being followed. It was easy to lose them, but it was still troubling.

He doubled back to Emma's hotel, only to find she had left. Another call to Gary got Castiel her location at an old building outside city limits.

He pulled up close enough to see the front entrance of the building and Emma's Jeep.

He made his way inside, careful to stay hidden along the outer walls. He didn't see any sign of Emma at first, then sounds of a scuffle made him look up. He caught sight of a

body falling from one of the upper levels. He worked his way over towards where he had seen the body land. A female voice shouted, "Where is the angel?!"

He was almost there when he heard the same female give a cry of despair, then an explosion tossed him backwards through an old wooden door. He found himself in a small

room filled with old boxes. The boxes had broken the majority of his fall, but he was having a hard time extracting himself from them. When he heard Emma give a pain filled

cry he scrambled up to his feet and rushed towards the sound. Only to pull up short at the sight that greeted him.

Emma was pinned to the far wall, face pained, clutching at something that was sticking out of her right shoulder. Blood soaking her shirt and jacket.

Standing just a few feet away from her, smiling, was Abbadon.

Castiel hadn't seen the Knight of Hell for over a century. But Dean had described her current host to him and he had seen a black and white video from a store's security camera.

Plus he didn't know any other being that could make his skin crawl as much as this woman could.

"I'm looking for an angel." The Knight told Emma.

Castiel was still mostly hidden by shadows and neither woman had noticed him. He used the opportunity to try and think of some possible way out of this.

Emma's voice was strained when she spoke, but she still managed to sound flippant, "A specific one? Or did you just wake up this morning with a craving?"

Abaddon was on her in a second. She grabbed Emma's right arm and twisted it.

"Aaaagggh!"

She then ripped all the bracelets off Emma's wrist, "When did amazons begin hunting again?"

"Well, we heard your ugly ass was back, Aaaagghhh!"

Abbadon dug a fingernail into Emma's wound, "The angel I'm looking for, goes by the name of Castiel." the demon said,

"You were seen with him earlier."

"No .. idea..." Emma gasped, her legs were starting to give out on her. Abaddon dug her finger in further to the wound. Emma didn't cry out this time, but her teeth were

clenched so tight Castiel was concerned they might crack. "Is this the extent of your tricks? A manicure?"

"I forgot how much fun amazons are," Abaddon purred into Emma's ear, "and it's been so long since I've had one of you to break."

Sweat was dripping off Emma's face as she struggled to stay up right. Castiel scanned the area around him, maybe he could find some sort of distraction.

"You are going to tell me what you have done with the angel," Abaddon said.

Emma laughed out loud, there was a note of hysteria to it, "I'm an amazon, what do you think I did with him? Poor idiot thought I was going to help him, thought I cared.

Soon as he let his guard down I stabbed him with his own blade."

"For your sake, you had better be lying," the Knight snarled.

"Nope, here let me show you how I did it," She swung her left arm up and aimed her angel blade for Abaddon's throat, the demon easily caught Emma's wrist, and Emma

slammed her forehead down on the demon's face. Abaddon stumbled backward, blood dripping from her nose. Emma tried to use the opportunity to pull herself free, but

Abaddon recovered too quickly. She grabbed Emma by the throat and began squeezing.

Castiel couldn't take it any more. He still had no idea how to get them out of the situation, but he might be able to at least get Emma out of it.

"Abaddon." He stepped out of the shadows into a little patch of moonlight. He had a firm grip on his angel blade, even though he knew it wouldn't do any good against the

Knight of Hell.

Both women turned to look at him. Emma's face reflected despair, while Abaddon looked like she had just caught sight of an old friend.

"Castiel!" The Knight stepped away from Emma, letting her drop, "It has been far, far too long."

"I thought you had been destroyed with holy fire?" Castiel noticed the slight change in her demeanor. Apparently the memory of Sam Winchester dousing her in holy oil and

setting her on fire was a sore subject.

"You should know that that wouldn't truly destroy me." She began walking towards Castiel slowly, blood dripping from her fingertips, "Just like your little angel blade there

won't destroy me." She gave him a seductive smile. Castiel felt his skin crawl again.

"It will hurt you though," he gripped the blade a little tighter.

She gave him a lazy smile, "Not enough to help you." She attacked.

Castiel brought his blade up to stab her. If he had still been an angel he would have made it, but he was just human now. The Knight was on him before he could do anything,

she grabbed the front of his shirt and whipped him around to shove him against a column in the middle of the room. She twisted his arm with the blade over his head and

pushed her whole body against his to pin him down. It happened so fast Castiel had the breath knocked from him and the back of his head hit the column with a crack. He

felt something warm and wet running down his neck.

Abaddon's face was just inches from his. He could smell sulfur and decay coming off of her in cloying waves.

"Castiel," she smiled. "I heard you were human, but it's so utterly satisfying seeing it with my own two eyes," she ran a red nail down his cheek, "how the mighty have

fallen."

Castiel kept his eyes focused on the demon in front of him, "What do you want?"

"Always so to the point," She leaned in closer, whispering in his ear, "I want the Winchesters."

"No."

Abaddon threw her head back and laughed, "I wasn't asking for permission. Just letting you know where this conversation is heading."

"I will never give up the Winchesters."

"You can't fight me Cassie," Abaddon sneered.

Castiel had no illusions that he would be able to fight Abaddon. He was only glad that he had enough residual grace that she couldn't posses him.

"Don't call me that," he growled.

Abaddon laughed again, "Oh baby, don't be that way. Don't you remember the last time we got together? We had so much fun."

Castiel kept his eyes focused on the demon, "You were responsible for causing a volcanic eruption that wiped out an entire city."

"As I said, so much fun."

Castiel didn't let his eyes leave her face, even when he saw movement just on the edge of his vision.

He couldn't fight her, but he could distract her.

A shot rang out, Abaddon jerked to the side then screamed. Three more shots hit her in quick succession.

Emma was coming towards her from the right, gun in her left hand, firing repeatedly. The bullets had to have been something special because they were causing Abaddon a

lot of pain if her screams were anything to go by. Emma's face had changed, around her eyes had turned red and her temples and cheeks had taken on a golden hue. Emma

continued firing, driving Abaddon away from Castiel. Emma tossed Castiel the archangel blade with her right hand and he caught it deftly.

Emma ejected the spent clip from her gun and reloaded. Abaddon took the opportunity to rush at the Amazon but Castiel caught her as she sped by, stabbing her with the

modified blade. Abaddon's screams increased. Castiel knew an archangel blade would hurt her more that just his regular one, but something about the way she was reacting

was off.

The Enochian symbols carved on the blade were meant to expel a demon or angel from its host. Castiel could see Abaddon was trying to leave her vessel, black smoke was

swirling in her mouth, but something was preventing her from fully leaving the body. She was writhing and screaming still impaled on the blade, being driven mad by

whatever was happening to her.

"Come on!" Emma yelled at him.

Castiel pulled the blade from Abaddon's body. The demon fell to the ground, still screaming. He ran to Emma, reaching her right before she collapsed to the ground.

"What did you do?" he asked, pulling her good arm around his shoulder.

"Bullets made from angel blades, with devil's traps carved on them," she gasped.

Castiel understood, "The bullets trapped her in her body." He started heading towards the exit, "Then when I stabbed her with your blade she was being pushed out and held

in at the same time."

"I figured it would at least hurt like hell."

"We should probably leave before she calls for help." Castiel said. Emma was trying to help as much as she could, but she was fading fast.

"So that was Abaddon?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I don't like her."

"No one does."

Emma's Jeep was closest so Castiel opted for it rather than Gary's truck. He got Emma in, found her keys, then jumped into the drivers side and sped off.

"She won't be able to track us," Emma told him, "Jeep is warded." He breaths were just coming in pain filled gasps now.

"We need to tend to your wounds. We should assume your hotel room may be compromised. I'll find a motel."

"I can't go to a motel with you, you might seduce then stab me," Emma burst out laughing at her own joke. It quickly turned into a groan.

"I believe blood loss is causing you to become delirious."

"I believe you are correct."

* * *

><p>They found a little motel and Castiel got a room.<p>

Emma had managed to staunch the bleeding with wads of gauze from the first aid kit, she was still in very bad shape though. Castiel retrieved her tool box from the Jeep and

helped her into the room. He got her laid out on the bed then opened the kit.

"Morphine," Emma gasped, "down at the bottom, black case."

Castiel dug until he found what she wanted. It was a small hard plastic case with several syringes inside. He pulled one out and handed it over to Emma. She used her teeth

to uncap it and injected the liquid straight into her right shoulder. Her eyes fluttered and she sighed. Castiel gave her a second syringe when she asked. After this injection he

saw her whole body relax and her eyes closed halfway.

"Better," she mumbled.

"You've lost a lot of blood," Castiel pulled back her jacket to see that blood was seeping through the gauze.

"I'll make more," she waved a hand negligently through the air.

Castiel had never treated a wound this bad. He searched desperately through Emma's first aid kit. He found disinfectant and sutures, pulling them out. He also grabbed the

largest bandages there were. He laid it all out on the bed, and stared at it hopelessly. "I don't know what to do," he said, suddenly feeling very helpless.

Emma turned glazed eyes to him. "Tell me why you followed me?"

Castiel scowled, how was that going to help her? "I wanted to hear the whole story before I came to a conclusion about you," he replied truthfully

He took the largest bottle of disinfectant and began reading the label. It was a wound cleaner that was very potent, if all the warnings were anything to go by. He got a cloth

from the bathroom, wet it, then used it to start cleaning around Emma's wound.

"It's not a pretty story."

"Nether is mine." He removed the gauze from the wound, the bleeding had slowed considerably. Most likely because of Emma's monster half. He poured some of the wound

cleaner over Emma's shoulder. She didn't even flinch. Either the disinfectant didn't hurt, or Emma was too drugged to feel it. Castiel had a feeling the second reason was

more likely.

"Touché." She looked at her shoulder, "Not doing too bad for not having any idea what you are doing."

Castiel sighed, "I'm use to being able to heal with a touch."

"That must really suck, not having your powers anymore."

He paused in his cleaning to look up at her, "It does suck, actually." He picked up the needle and thread but Emma immediately plucked them out of his hands.

"No, no way," she started threading the needle. "You can clean the wound, you can put a bandage in it. But no way am I letting you sew me up."

"How do you plan on doing it yourself, then?"

"With a mirror, duh." Her speech was starting to become slightly slurred.

Castiel helped her over to the bathroom mirror since she was still very unsteady on her feet. "I'm not sure this is a good idea," he told her as she began stitching up the

wound with shaking fingers.

"Shh!" She managed to slowly and carefully close the wound.

When she was finished a new problem presented itself.

"How are you planning on suturing the wound in the back?" Castiel asked.

Emma scowled. She then spent about a minute trying to reach back, see in the mirror, and stay on her feet. After the third time she nearly fell, Castiel made her sit down on

the bed again.

"I understand what to do now," he told her.

Emma eyed him skeptically, "Is this like the thing where you saw someone drive a car so you could too?"

"Yes," he carefully thread the needle. "Would you feel better sitting up or laying down."

Emma was still eyeing him doubtfully, "Maybe I should just take some more morphine and knock myself unconscious so I don't know what your doing."

"If you feel that is necessary."

Emma groaned, but she positioned herself face down on the bed, "At least it won't leave a scar." She mumbled into the mattress.

Castiel peeled off the bloody dressing of the entrance wound and cleaned it out. He used a butterfly band aid to pull the wound closed, just as he had seen Emma do. Then he

copied the small stitches she had done. When he was finished he bandaged it back up.

Emma had been very still and quiet the whole time. Castiel suspected the morphine had put her to sleep.

"It wasn't me."

Castiel started when Emma spoke, "What wasn't you?"

"The girl sent to kill Dean, it wasn't me." Emma was still laying face down on the bed, her head turned away from Castiel as she spoke.

"I don't understand, I thought each child was to kill their respective father."

"Normally yes, but these were special circumstances."

Castiel waited for Emma to continue.

"The Amazons have been dwindling in number for hundreds of years. We've survived by becoming invisible. Blending in where we can. But when it's time to mate that all gets

thrown out the window. Hard to stay invisible when your going on a killing spree," Emma chuckled, but there was no humor behind it. "Our current Queen, Madeleine, she

was obsessed with finding a way to restore the Amazons to their previous glory. She hunted through old text, talked with spirits and seers. Finally she found an oracle, don't

ask me where, she kept it to herself. But the oracle told her that during the next mating cycle one of her daughters would mate with The Righteous Man from prophecy. And

the child would be the next queen and would save the Amazons."

"Dean," Castiel breathed. "How did she find him?"

Emma laughed, "She didn't. She just had complete faith that what the oracle said "would come to pass", or at least that's how she put it. They went out and did everything

just as they always would have done. And damn if it didn't workout just as the oracle said."

"But then how did Madeleine know that Dean was your father?"

"After all the babies have been born the Queen takes each one and, I don't know how to explain it, sort of reads their soul. That's how we pass on knowledge, we can tap into

the energy of our own soul. It's like instinct, but a super charged version. So when Madeleine held me and read my soul she immediately knew I was different. And she knew

I was the child the oracle spoke of."

This made sense to Castiel. When a human creates life they are not just passing on DNA they also give a piece of their soul to create the new life. The reason Dean was

Michael's true vessel was not because of his physical body. It was because of the strength of his soul.

"Did they remove you from your mother because of that?" Castiel wondered.

"No, it was all my fault. I was only a few hours old when Dean came to my Mom's house. He had left behind Bobby Singer's flask, which turned out to be haunted, by the

way. But I was curious about him. He seemed, familiar. So I asked my Mom who he was," Emma heaved a sigh, "so stupid."

"You were relatively new to the world. You wouldn't have been able to understand the consequences of your speaking."

Emma lifted her head and looked at Castiel for the first time since starting her story, "What I really don't understand is why you're trying to make me feel better."

"Because I understand making poor decisions that haunt you."

Emma gave him a small smile, "I like you. That was the morphine talking there."

Castiel smiled.

"I like your smile too. I'm just going to look away now and finish my story." And she did just that, "Anyway, Dean heard me talk, so as soon as he left my Mom called

Madeleine. It was decided that I couldn't be put at risk. So Madeleine took one of the other children and we switched places. Dean was watching the house so they snuck me

out the back. Only Madeleine and our mothers knew about the switch." Emma got quiet, "Her name was Kate, according to Madeleine she had the least potential of all of us.

She was expendable." Emma let out a shaky breath, "I would eventually realize that. She was just suppose to keep Dean occupied while the rest of us fled. She was never

meant to survive."

For a while the only sound in the room was a clock ticking away.

"That was the first time I ever doubted the Queen," Emma whispered.

"Questioning authority is defiantly a Winchester trait." Castiel said.

Emma looked at him again, "Yeah?" She sounded a tiny bit happy at that. Then she sighed again, "It's gotten me into a lot of trouble though."

"It's gotten Sam and Dean into a lot if trouble," Castiel admitted. "But it was their questioning authority that led to the halting of the apocalypse."

"Well it led me to running away from my tribe, going into hiding then meeting you. Not all bad I guess." Emma suddenly furrowed her brow in thought. "Um, you said you

read my journal, right?"

"That is right."

"All of it?"

"Yes."

"Um, even the last two entries?"

"Yes."

Emma groaned and planted her face down in the mattress.

"I assume you are wondering if I read the part about your first impression of me."

"Nngh," was the reply.

"I understand why you would have that reaction to me. As a former angel I still have a trace amount of grace left in this body. You would read it as a strong soul."

"Nnngghh!"

"I can't understand you when you talk into the mattress like that."

* * *

><p>Emma woke up feeling fuzzy. It was the best way to describe the hangover from morphine. She could feel the ache in her shoulder still but it wasn't too bad. A few heavy<p>

duty painkillers would take care of it. Castiel had left her a bottle of them next to the bed, along with a glass of water. She shook a few pills out and swallowed them down,

not caring if they gave her a stomachache. She rolled over to check on Castiel, he was still curled up on the other bed, fast asleep. Emma couldn't help smiling, the drugs had

a lot to do with it, but it made her happy to see her friend there.

They weren't in Durango anymore. Once Emma had stabilized they left the motel, with only minimal blood stains left behind, and headed further south into New Mexico. They

stopped in a little town called Aztec near the Navajo Reservation. Emma called and had Gary's truck towed to a train station in Durango. They would have to go and pick it

up, but hopefully by then Abaddon and any cronies would be gone.

Emma was still miffed that she had been ambushed. She had let her self get distracted, a nearly fatal mistake. Not just for her, Castiel could have been tortured and killed.

As soon as Castiel had made himself known back at the warehouse, Emma knew she had to do any and everything to get them out of the situation. She hated pulling out her

monster half, but there had been no choice. With Abaddon focused on Castiel , Emma had pulled herself off of the rebar, then she let her inner darkness consume her and

give her strength. She was glad she had loaded her gun with, what she liked to refer to as, her over-kill bullets. Even with those, she was surprised they got away so easily.

Maybe Abaddon was off her game. Or maybe all those stories she had heard about how demons feared Amazons were true. And Abaddon had been wary enough that it gave

them time to escape. Who knew.

Emma finally decided she needed a shower more than she needed sleep at this point. As she rolled out of bed and grabbed her duffel, Castiel's eyes opened.

"I'm just taking a shower."

He nodded then closed his eyes again. Poor guy had gotten even less sleep than Emma because she had been unable to drive.

The shower took longer than normal because Emma had to be careful not to get her right shoulder wet. This resulted in her awkwardly trying to lean her upper right side out

of the shower. A lot of water ended up on the floor as a result.

She finally emerged from the bathroom and was greeted by the smell of a McDonald's breakfast. Castiel had several of the fast food bags on their room's table. Emma

actually moaned at the sight.

Castiel was already eating a Mcmuffin, "I figured you would need food. I had your food from the restaurant last night in the truck, but that's gone now."

Emma had sat down and was trying to inhale a sandwich. Chewing is for wimps. "It's ok," she told him around a mouthful.

"I just don't like to waste food."

"I think being attacked by a Knight of Hell is a legitimate reason for wasting a little food," Emma replied, already reaching for another sandwich.

Castiel thought about that for a moment, then nodded, "You're right. It would be a legitimate reason."

Emma tried to hid her chuckle. She had read about Castiel in the Supernatural e-books, but they hadn't quite done him justice. She supposed it was hard to describe a

persons presence in words. Or the small nuances in the way they carried themselves and their facial expressions. No wonder she hadn't figured out who he was. The flesh

and blood Castiel was a lot different from the book Castiel.

After breakfast they discussed their options and decided to lay low for another day. That way Emma's shoulder could finish healing and if any demon's were watching Gary's

truck they would hopefully get bored and leave. They checked out of the hotel and drove further south into the Navajo reservation.

They got lunch at a roadside stand run by a Navajo woman with high cheek bones and hair so dark it was blue. She was making Navajo tacos by hand, to order. She gave

Emma a basket of the fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar, for free of course. It was a mild winter day so they ate at the little picnic tables nearby.

In between bites they asked each other questions.

"So I'm assuming Dean told you about me," Emma asked first.

"Yes," Castiel said, "he told me while we were in purgatory. I think he was hoping to see you there."

Emma snorted, "So he could make sure I was dead."

Castiel thought for a moment, "I don't think that was it. He was truly sorry for what happened, he blamed himself."

Emma paused, a forkful of food halfway to her mouth, "Why would he blame himself? Wouldn't .. wasn't he angry?"

"He was angry at your mother and the other amazons, but not at you. He felt you were more an innocent victim that he should have been able to save." Castiel continued

eating, he didn't notice Emma staring at him until he looked up again.

"What?"

"He wanted to save me?" she didn't like how small her voice sounded.

"Of course," Castiel gave her a puzzled look, "you're his daughter."

Emma processed this information. She had thought all this time that Dean would be angry at her. It had never occurred to her he might have thought of her as his daughter.

Castiel was still studying her, head tilted and brow furrowed in thought, "Is this why you never approached him once you left the amazons? You thought he hated you?"

Emma shrugged, "It's one of the reasons, the other is that I figured the first place Madeleine would think to look for me is with Dean. I wouldn't be surprised if she still

watches them. Make sure I haven't gone to the dark side."

"Why would Dean's side be dark?"

"It's from the movie Star Wars, they referred to the bad side as the dark side."

Castiel's eyes brightened with understanding, "Oh, I see. The Queen would see you being with males, specifically your father, as having turned against your tribe."

"Exactly."

"But I'm a male, or my vessel is at least."

Emma frowned, "You still think of your body as your vessel? Is that poor guys still in there with you?"

"No, Jimmy Novak's soul was sent to heaven after Raphael destroyed me." Castiel looked down at himself, "I guess I've become so accustom to thinking of it as a vessel. I

suppose since I'm human now it truly is my own body."

Castiel seemed troubled by this. Emma couldn't stand seeing him troubled. She leaned across the table and put her hand over his, "If it's any consolation, it's a very nice

body. I mean, have you looked in a mirror?"

"Quite often, I found it is necessary for most grooming."

"Exactly, and as for you being male, I never meant to stay with you for very long. It just sort of happened."

"What about my being a former angel? Wouldn't that upset the Queen even more, since we are at war?"

"How do you know about the war?" Emma asked, completely shocked.

"Merlin was surprised that I was with an amazon. He asked me if the war was over." Castiel frowned, "I didn't know what he was talking about."

"Man," Emma sighed, "I need to go back and kill that guy again. You wouldn't know what he was talking about, only the archangels knew about the amazons and where we

come from. Which is directly related to why we are at war." Emma started in on the dessert, "I can tell you if you want." It was better than talking about Dean.

"Castiel nodded, "I would appreciate that."

Emma swallowed down her bread, "Once upon a time, way, way, way, way, way,"

"I get the idea."

"Way, way, way back when the earth was young and angels walked the earth freely and openly."

"I know this part, I was there." Castiel grumbled.

"Stop interrupting. The angels saw that the daughters of men were fair to look upon and desired them. So naturally they got them knocked up. Thus the nephilim were

created. A race of super humans, not to be confused with super heroes, that had the soul of a human and the knowledge of an angel. Of course the archangels being the

absolute dicks that they are, saw the nephilim as a threat. For you see the archangels had taken over the rule of Heaven due to a certain deity's absence."

"Wait, how do you know that?"

"If you stop interrupting you will find out."

"Sorry"

"Now the nephilim could come and go from Heaven so they knew about the absent father figure. And they also knew the archangels were plotting something. They spoke out

against the plan to jump start the apocalypse. So the archangels ruled them abominations to be destroyed. They had all the other angels minds reprogrammed so they no

longer remembered they had fathered any children. And apparently none of these angels questioned who had fathered the kids. Maybe they thought they just sprung into

existence. Or maybe they were just so use to not questioning anything they were told no matter how ridiculous it was."

"Can you move on?" Castiel asked.

"So now there was a price on the nephilim's heads. Which the demons and the monsters of the world were all too pleased with, because the nephilim had worked to hunt

down these creatures and protect humanity from them. But now that the angels no longer supported them the demons and monsters banded together to hunt and kill the

nephilim. Now the nephilim themselves had had children. And while these children were not as powerful, they still possessed a lot of their parents strength and skill in

fighting. The children came to the aid of their parents, fighting the armies of monsters and demons. Unfortunately they were not enough of them to hold back the tide. Soon

only a handful of nephilim remained, scattered and hunted. While of their children a small band remained, all females, lead by Hippolyta, who was not a hippo by the way."

"Why would I think she was a hippopotamus?"

"So Hippolyta realized that their demise was immanent so she went to one of the lesser deities, the Greek goddess Harmonia, who has nothing to do with harmonicas."

"Oh I see, its a play on their names."

"Hippolyta promised that she and her people would always worship Harmonia if the goddess would help them. Harmonia agreed, and with the help of the war god Ares, she

turned Hippolyta and her band into what the amazons are today. Because they were now able to procreate very quickly, their numbers grew and the amazons hunted down

the monsters and demons until they were the ones running and hiding. And that is the amazons origin story. And the explination of why angels and amazons do not get

along."

"Why don't the amazons still hunt?"

"I'm not sure, at some point one of the queens had us stop. With the modern age it became easier to kill an Amazon. Mortal wounds will kills us, like a direct shot to the

heart. So our numbers started to dwindle and we went into hiding."

"So why did you start hunting?" Castiel asked.

Emma shrugged, " It just felt right, like I had found a purpose. Maybe it's just leftover instinct from when amazons did hunt."

"Or maybe it comes from Dean," Castiel pointed out, "you should meet him."

"No."

"We could go to the bunker, the amazons wouldn't be able to find it."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

Castiel glowered at her, "That's not a valid reason."

"Because I said so." Emma grabbed their finished plates of food and threw them away. "We should probably start heading back, Sheila will have my head if we miss

Thanksgiving."

Castiel got up and followed her to the Jeep, "That reminds me, Sheila wants you to get her 5 pounds of yams."

"Yeah, so I've heard."

* * *

><p>Sheila woke up early the day before Thanksgiving. She had a lot to do and not a lot of help. Usually she had a bunch of house guests by now who could be given tasks. But all<p>

the available hunters had gone up to Montana to help out with the wendigo. They had received a call last night from Fred telling them the hunt had been successful and they

had even found 3 of the 4 victims alive. They were going to start heading down this way sometime this morning.

Which was why Sheila was surprised to hear voices coming from the kitchen.

"But she said she wanted yams."

Sheila relaxed when she recognized Steve's deep voice. Then she smiled when she heard Rina as well.

"I know, but she meant sweet potatoes."

"Why would she say yams, then?"

Sheila peeked into the kitchen. Steve and Rina were standing at the counter. A large bag of yams between them. Rina looked a little beat up but both looked comfortable with

the other. Sheila hoped this meant whatever had been going on between them was resolved.

Rina looked a little exasperated, "A lot of people call sweet potatoes, yams." She was telling Steve.

"Sweet potatoes and yams are two different things." Steve scowled down at the bag, "Yams are much larger and have a

pale flesh. Where as sweet potatoes are usually small and orange colored."

"I know. If it makes you feel better some states have laws against labeling sweet potatoes as yams."

"Why would there need to be a law against calling something it isn't."

"Because this is America."

Sheila tiptoed away. It was shaping up to be a good Thanksgiving after all.

* * *

><p>Castiel had never taken part in any modern human celebrations. Unless you count the St. Valentine's Day he spent with Sam and Dean, fighting Famine. Castiel was pretty<p>

sure it hadn't been a good representation of the holiday. Thanksgiving at Gary and Sheila's was quite a different story.

Castiel didn't think he had ever seen so much homemade food at once. And still Sheila was apparently worried there wouldn't be enough. She had had Castiel helping her in

the kitchen ever since he and Emma had gotten back. Emma tried helping but Sheila kept sending her out again whenever Emma started critiquing Sheila's cooking

techniques. After a particularly bad argument about toasting pecans, Gary took Emma outside with him where he was setting up a contraption to fry the turkey.

The number of hunters at the house made Castiel a bit nervous that he would be recognized. Emma had told him not to worry since none of the hunters had ever met Castiel

when he was an angel. And Timmy and Ned had spread the story of him being a hunter that Rina pulled out of retirement.

The day of Thanksgiving saw even more guest arrive and even more food made. Emma and Gary had set up a latter with a pulley on it to lower the turkey into the boiling hot

oil. Emma had also roped of an area around the latter that she informed everyone not to step over or they would be shot. Castiel wasn't sure if she was kidding. From the

way all the other hunters were avoiding the area maybe they didn't know if she was kidding either.

When it finally came time to eat several long tables were set up end to end for everyone to sit at. They went from the dinning room out to the hall. Castiel was sat down

between Emma and Timmy, with Ned on Timmy's other side.

"So you'll never guess what blade that was that Merlin pulled out." Timmy was leaning over Castiel to talk to Emma.

"Excalibur," Emma deadpanned.

"It was Excal .. hand on, how did you know that?"

Emma started scooping mashed potatoes onto hers and Castiel's plates. "Because Merlin had it and you look like you're

about to wet yourself, you're so excited."

Ned laughed, "I told you she would figure it out." Ned leaned over Timmy now to talk to Emma, "We figured that was

why it worked so well to kill Merlin. Enchanted blade and all."

"Excellent for killing dragons too." Emma replied, "Who has it now?"

"The coven of course," Ned accepted the potatoes from Timmy, "though you have a pretty good claim on it if you go with the spoils of war angle. They'd probably give it to

you if you put up a stink."

Emma flashed a mischievous smile, "Oh I'm sure they would."

The rest of the day passed with much gluttony. Castierl realized why Sheila had been so worried about not having enough food, the hunters had veracious appetites. Emma

was determined that Castiel try a little of everything. Including every kind of pie that Sheila had made. Timmy and Ned laughed at Castiel's reaction to the first bite, which

was wonderful.

"Do we need to leave you alone with the pie?" Timmy had laughed.

Emma shoved a piece of pie in Timmy's face.

In the evening Gary prepared some eggnog. Castiel loved the rich creamy taste of it, but Emma cut him off after only two cups.

"You'll thank me in the morning," she told him when he complained, "you're already getting buzzed off it."

The next day Castiel had to admit she was right, he had a slight hangover, mostly because he had sneaked some more eggnog when Emma wasn't looking.

Most of the hunters left that morning, heading out to different hunts. Some had been planned before hand, others were ones Gary and Emma had found and assigned out.

Come evening the house was once again empty. Castiel was out at the barn feeding Buttercup some raisins when Emma came out to find him.

"You're spoiling that goat."

Castiel rubbed the little goats flank, "She is a very sweet creature."

Emma leaned against the paddock, "Do all animals love you this much?"

"I've always had an affinity for the smaller creatures of the earth. Buttercup seems particularly fond of me though. I suspect it is because I bring her raisins."

Emma laughed, then sighed, "I have to leave tomorrow."

Castiel stopped petting the goat and looked up at her, "Why?"

"I made a commitment a few weeks ago to visit a friend after Thanksgiving. I would take you with me but he hates strangers and would probably kill you on sight." Emma

smiled at him, "I promise I'm not trying to ditch you. I'll be gone for just over a week, then come back."

Castiel nodded. He wanted to believe her, but it was hard not to doubt her sincerity.

Emma reached over and cupped his face with her hands, "I promise on my blade, I will come back for you."

Castiel looked into her green eyes, eyes that were the same color as her father's, he only saw honesty there. And something else he couldn't identify but it felt like something

good.

"Are we good?" Emma asked.

"Yes, we are good," he replied.

"Great," she let go of his face, "I'm going running, want to come along? You can work off some of that pie you devoured yesterday."

"You are the one who insisted I try every kind." Castiel reminded her.

Emma chuckled, "Yes, but I didn't make you try them the second time round."

"I suppose that's true," Castiel sighed, "let me change into my sweat pants."

They went running until the sun went down and they had to make their way back in the dark using the flashlight Emma had brought along.

The next morning Emma left to go see her friend. She wouldn't say who her friend was, just that he lived in the woods of Maine.

On Sunday Gary told Castiel about the slaying of an entire biker gang. They had had their eyes burned out. Castiel borrowed Gary's truck again and headed out to Caribou, Wyoming.

_So did you like the reveal about Emma? If you go back and watch the episode you will see, during the branding scene, one of the girls has brown hair with blonde highlights. :) -JJ_


	11. Chapter 11 - Conversations

_I've been having some formatting issues, last weeks chapter was particularly bad. I'm working on fixing them so just bear with me. Also please remember that all of the new chapters are unedited, there are going to be mistakes.- JJ_

* * *

><p><em>Call me for your lover's lover's alibi<em>

-Call Me by Blondie

Emma had stopped for supplies at a grocery store in Maine when she got the call.

"Hey Cas, what's up?"

_"I need money."_

"I've missed you too."

_"What?"_

"Never mind. Why do you need money? What happened to your credit card?"

_"I lost them when I was taken prisoner by some angels looking for Metatron."_

"Come again there."

_"I was taken prisoner, they wanted me to tell them where Metatron is."_

"I take it you escaped."

_"Yes, I,"_ Castiel hesitated, sighed, then continued, _"I'm an angel again."_

"You got your grace back?" That seemed unlikely.

_"No, not my grace exactly."_

"Exactly what then?"

_"I, ah, I took another angels grace."_

Emma stopped and just stood in the middle of the aisle. He had not just said what he had just said. "Are you out of your mind!" She yelled, a few shoppers nearby gave her dirty looks but she didn't care, "That's .. why would you .. don't you know .. are you insane?"

_"I did what I had to do."_

"Don't give me that BS, you've signed your own death warrant. That grace is going to burn out and take you with it."

_"I know, it just needs to last long enough for me to deal with Metatron."_

"Why do you have to deal with it?"

_"Because it's my fault the angels fell."_

"It's not your fault. It's Metatron's."

_"Can you help me or not."_

"Fine, but this conversation is not over. How much do you need?"

_"I need to get from Wyoming to Kansas."_

"I can wire you some cash, how fast do you need to get there?"

_"As soon as possible, Dean said it was urgent."_

"Wait, what does Dean have to do with this?"

_"I gave him some information that upset him. He told me to get to the bunker as soon as possible."_

"Ok, you should drive, it'll be the fastest since I'm assuming you lost all your IDs as well."

_"I lost Gary's truck too."_

"Well that will at least make Sheila happy. She hates that POS. Your best bet is to just steal a car from some low life."

_"A lower life form?"_

"No, a criminal, they won't report the vehicle stolen."

_"Ok, how do I find a criminal?"_

"Just go to the bad part of town you'll find one eventually. In the meantime I'll wire some money to you."

_"Thank you, Emma."_

"Anytime."

* * *

><p>Most people thought Emma's Jeep was overkill. What they didn't know was that she needed it to visit this particular friend of hers. He lived out in deepest, darkest Maine, in a cabin so secluded there wasn't even a proper road to it. There were a few times during the 2 hour long journey through the woods the Emma had to use her winch just to make it up a hill.<p>

But she supposed it could be worse. The guy could be living on Olympus.

Emma stepped out of her Jeep and was meet by a 15ft tall grizzly.

"Hey Honey, Hephaestus home?"

The grizzly sniffed at Emma, satisfied she was not an intruder the bear ambled off to the work shed behind the cabin.

The cabin was just a normal log cabin. The work shed also looked normal. Emma followed the bear and waited as it opened the door and went in. Emma followed behind, going down the long steep stairs that led to the real work shop. It was a large room filled with tools, computers, a forge, and several dozen half finished machines. In the middle of it all was a man with large muscular arms, broad shoulders, black hair, and the ugliest face you have ever seen. His eyes were too low on his face, nose squished in, ears too small. His permanent scowl did nothing to help his looks. Neither did the grease covering him head to toe.

"Hey Heph, did you lose a fight with an oil pan?" Emma asked.

Hephaestus' scowl deepened. When he spoke it sounded like rocks being scraped across a chalk board, "I'm trying to fix my car. Aphrodite crashed it, again." He gestured to the far corner where a small yellow car was up on blocks. The front end was squished and twisted.

"That sucks, want some help?"

"That would be nice. I need to fix Honey's voice chip, she damaged it in a fight with a puma." Hephaestus shot the grizzly a glare. The grizzly looked slightly abashed.

"I was wondering why she wasn't talking. I thought maybe she was moping again."

"She is, she's in trouble because she started the fight."

Emma got to work on the car while Hephaestus fixed his bear.

Emma had actually met the Greek god because of his mechanical bear. She had gotten loose and was terrorizing hikers and hunters in the woods. Emma had caught wind of the monster bear and thought it sounded like her kind of thing. She tracked the animal down and quickly realized it was not a normal bear. She had finally brought the bear down with a rather complex wire trap. Hephaestus had caught up with the bear right after she had trapped it. He was so impressed by the trap that he wasn't even upset it had scuffed up his favorite toy. He had immediately recognized her as an amazon too.

Ever since Emma had been coming to visit every few months. She used his forge to melt down angel blades to create bullets. And he was the one who told her how to modify an archangel blade.

Which was why she thought he might be able to help her with her current problem.

She waited until he had finished fixing Honey to, oh so casually, ask him her question.

"What do you know about the spell that cast the angels out of Heaven?"

Hephaestus grunted, "I know it's been a pain in my ass. Angels everywhere you step. Annoying, self righteous, egotistical ..."

"Yes, but what do you know about the spell its self. Is there a way to reverse it, or maybe retrieve the pieces?"

Hephaestus eyed her suspiciously, "Why do you want to know?"

Emma shrugged, "Just wanted to know, as you said can't go anywhere without running into an angel. Not very healthy for an amazon. Would be nice if there was a way to send them back to heaven."

Hephaestus didn't look entirely convinced by her rather lame excuse. "Hmmm, well as far as I know the spell is irreversible. But I can ask Athena if she knows anything."

"Thanks Heph."

* * *

><p>Castiel was driving back to the bunker with Sam. The atmosphere in the car was strained. Sam seemed to still be angry about the revelation that Dean had tricked him into unknowingly hosting an angel.<p>

Castiel could understand both brother's positions. But he had confidence they would work through it.

A strange trilling noise caused him to look around for the source.

"It's your phone Cas." Sam told him, "We'll have to customize your ringtone later."

Castiel dug the phone out of his coat pocket and saw RINA displayed on the screen. He had texted Emma his new phone number after he and Sam had stopped to get him the new phone.

"Hello."

_"Hey handsome, sorry I didn't call sooner. I've been out of cell range and a mechanical bear ate my satellite phone."_

"A mechanical bear?"

_"I'll explain later. Did you make it to Dean ok? Is everything alright?"_

Castiel glanced at Sam who had started listening at 'mechanical bear'. "I made it there, mostly ok. I ran out of gas before I got there."

_"Did I not send you enough money?"_

"No, you did, I just didn't realize I was low on gas. The little light never came on indicating I needed more."

Castiel heard Emma laugh,_ "Did you think it would just keep going forever?"_

"No, I understand internal combustion engines require fuel." Now Sam was laughing. "You're both being very annoying."

_"Both? Who else is there?"_

"Sam," Castiel caught himself, "the, ah, the hunter friend I told you about."

_"Smooth Cas, I'm sure he's not suspicious at all."_

"Did you call for another reason, or did you just want to mock me?"

_"Calm down sassy pants, I wanted to let you know I've got a new credit card for you. I had to cancel all the cards in case your little angel friends decided to go on a shopping spree."_

"I'm sorry."

_"No worries, I need an address to send it to though. Couldn't find the secret Men of Letters bunker on Google Earth."_

"I don't know is there is an address. Wait a moment and I'll ask," Castiel turned to Sam. "Does the bunker have a mailing address?"

"Um, no. Who are you talking to?"

_"Lie,"_ Emma said, _"lie like you've never lied before."_

"She is a hunter I met while still human, the one who introduced me to the Brooks."

Sam's expression cleared, his shoulders relaxing, "Oh, well why does she need an address? Does she know about the bunker?"

"She needs to send me a replacement credit card. Mine was lost when I was captured. And yes she does know about the bunker,"

_"Don't tell him that!"_

"because she has read the Supernatural books." He finished.

_"Don't tell him that either."_ Emma groaned.

Sam groaned as well, "He tells about the bunker in those?"

"Not the location," he assured Sam, "which is why she needs an address. She said she couldn't find it on Google Earth."

_"I was kidding!"_

Sam huffed a laugh, he must be able to hear Emma's loud outburst. "We have a PO box a couple of towns over, she can send it there." Sam gave Castiel the address and he relayed it to Emma, then ended the call.

"So?" Sam said.

Castiel looked at him, "Yes?"

"Who is she?" Castiel had already come up with his story to explain who Emma was to Sam and Dean, without telling who she really was. Emma had made it quite clear she did not want them to know about her.

"I already told you, she's a hunter I met."

"Ok, does she have a name?"

"Rina."

Sam huffed a small laugh, "Come on Cas, you've got to give me some more here. How did you meet her?"

Castiel had decided to stick with the truth as much as possible, "She came into the Gas n' Sip I was working at. The vampires she had been hunting followed her there and we had to make a run for it. She ended up burning down the gas station so that we could make our escape. Afterward she felt badly that I had no where to go because I had been sleeping in the back if the store."

"Wait, you were living in the back of a Gas n' Sip? Did Dean know?" Sam's grip on the steering wheel had tightened. Castiel could see this had really upset him. In a way he was reminded of Emma's reaction to finding out Castiel was alone and homeless.

"It's fine Sam."

"No! No it's not fine. Geez Cas, you were living in the back of a gas station."

Castiel was becoming concerned Sam was going to rip the steering wheel off.

Sma took a few deep breaths and came back to himself. "I'm so sorry." He said, not looking at Castiel.

"It isn't your fault Sam. You didn't know about Gadreel."

"I should have. There were clues, I should have realized what was going on. It's not like I haven't been possessed before."

"You need to stop blaming yourself," Castiel told him.

"You're right," Sam's his countenance darkened again, "someone else is to blame."

"Sam," Castiel started.

"No Cas, don't defend him. How can you defend him after what he did to you?"

"I understand why he did what he did."

"Really? Well that makes one of us." Sam replied.

* * *

><p>Emma decided almost immediately that she didn't like the goddess of knowledge. The tall blonde had a haughty attitude, like she thought she knew better than everyone else. Which she might, but that didn't mean she had to be a jerk about it.<p>

The goddess raise one perfectly sculpted eyebrow at Emma. "Of course I know about the spell that cast the angels down to earth."

Emma was half expecting her to put a 'duh' at the end of that sentence. She ground her teeth in an effort to stay calm, Hephaestus had warned Emma his sister could be temperamental. "Do you know how to reverse it?"

Athena rolled her eyes, "It can't be reversed." Her tone told Emma the goddess thought she was an idiot.

Emma clenched her fists and counted back from 20, then she smiled as sweetly as she could, "I realize I am taking up a lot of your valuable time. I knew though, that if anyone had knowledge that could help me in my endeavor, it would be you Athena. I am trying to find a way to retrieve the angel's grace that was used to power the spell. I would be extremely grateful for any knowledge you could give me. And of course I would be in your debt." Emma felt a toothache coming on from all of the forced sweetness. But it seemed to be paying off.

The goddess thawed visibly, she even gave a small, albeit smug, smile. "As I said it cannot be reversed, however all spells have a shelf life, meaning they will eventually loose potency and unravel."

Emma did her best to look absolutely interested in this little gem of knowledge that she already knew. From the far room, Hephaestus gave her a thumbs up so she must have been doing a decent job.

The goddess continued, "There is a way to destabilize a spell early, that's how counter spells work, they pull at the strings holding the spell together. In the case of this spell what is holding it together is the angel grace. If one were able to pull it out the spell would unravel."

Emma thought she was going to explode with how much of her temper she was holding in, "So I just need to extract the grace?"

"Yes." Athena examined one of her nails, "It would cause a huge backlash of power and probably destroy the walls between heaven and the mortal plane, but it would work."

Emma imagined grabbing the goddess by her throat and slamming her head into the concrete floor of the work shop, repeatedly. Instead she looked down cast, "Oh well, I suppose if you don't know how to do it then I could try asking someone else. I was lead to believe the goddess Isis may know something."

Athena's eyes flashes at the mention of the Egyptian goddess. Hephaestus had told Emma that the two goddesses had recently developed a rivalry. Recently meaning in the last century or so.

"I haven't finished," Athena snapped, "there is a way you could unravel the spell safely. By which I mean safely for everyone else. You would most likely die."

Emma smiled, "Lay it on me."

* * *

><p><strong>Missed calls<strong>

**Castiel (3)**

**Gary (4)**

**Sheila (4)**

**Timmy (2)**

**Heph (1)**

**New text message(s)**

**Castiel**

_ Where are you? You haven't been answering your phone. I need to talk to you. - C_

_ I am becoming concerned. - C_

_ Gary just called me, said he can't get ahold of you either. - C_

_ Please let me know you are okay. - C_

**Timmy**

_ Gary's looking for you, better call him before he sends out a search party. - T_

_ Seriously, where are you? -T_

**Ned**

_ You better not be dead. -N_

**Heph**

_ Pick me up some black truffles while your in France. - H _

* * *

><p><strong>Group Message<strong>

To: Gary, Sheila, Timmy, Ned

_R - I'm not dead, just out of the country. Stop worrying._

**New Message(s)**

**Castiel**

_R- Sorry I haven't received your calls, I'm in France. Been a little busy trying to steal the ashes of a saint._

_ Why are you trying to steal the ashes of a saint? - C_

_R- No reason. Are you ok?_

_ I had to kill another fellow angel. I tried not to but he gave me no choice. -C_

_R- I'm sorry. That really sucks._

_ When will you be back? - C_

_R- At the airport now, I'll call you when I land. Hopefully security won't catch my contraband._

_ The ashes? -C_

_R- Nope, black truffles. I'll make you some pasta :)_

_ I no longer require food -C_

_R- Nobody requires truffles._

* * *

><p><strong>New Message(s)<strong>

**Rina**

_ Ok, now you're not answering your phone. Just wanted to let you I'm back from South America. -R_

Castiel saw the text from Emma but he didn't answer it. Surrounded by his new flock he didn't think replying to his friend who was an amazon and a Winchester was the best idea.

His head was still spinning from all of the new knowledge Metatron had uploaded. It should not still be bothering him, but the stolen grace was already beginning to wane so he couldn't process it all as quickly as he would have been able to if he was at full power.

Hannah had found them an old warehouse to setup their command center in. She was also responsible for getting all of the equipment needed. Castiel wasn't surprised, Hannah had been a clerical angel before the fall.

Castiel used the excuse of needing to meet a source to sneak out. It wasn't entirely false, Emma was a source of information, though he was just calling her, not meeting her.

_"Where have you been?"_ Emma sounded half annoyed, half worried.

"I was kidnapped by Metatron."

_"What is it with you and getting caught by psychotic angels? I swear, every time I talk to you you've been captured."_

"I believe you are exaggerating."

_"Not by much. So how did you get away?"_

Castiel told her the whole story. The illusion involving Gabriel, Sam and Dean exchanging Gadreel for him, and finally how he now had his own small army.

_"You've been busy."_

"Yes, though there is still much to do if we want to find Metatron. You have been busy as well. What were you getting in South America?"

_"Nothing, just something I , wait a minute, I didn't tell you I was going there to get something. You sneaky bastard."_

Castiel smiled. He had done it on purpose. Emma had been traveling to places all over the planet. Castiel had finally realized she was procuring rare items. He knew of the ashes of a saint and the feather of a phoenix, he suspected they were components to a spell. Unfortunately once Emma had realized he was onto her she had been more careful about what she told him. Only letting him know she was leaving the country and which continent she would be on. And that was only so when Gary called him he would be able to tell him something.

"Are you going on another trip?" he asked.

_"Just back up to Maine, I'll have to see after that, but I'll let you know."_

"I wish you would tell me what you're doing," Castiel sighed.

_"I told you not to worry about it. I promise it's nothing too bad."_

"That is not entirely reassuring."

_"Well that's all your getting. I've got to go catch my flight to Boston, call you later."_

As Castiel hung up he couldn't help sighing again in frustration. Emma was up to something, he could only hope she wasn't doing anything to foolhardy.

* * *

><p>Emma let herself into Hephaestus' cabin. He was sitting at the large kitchen table tinkering with something. She plunked the glass jar she had down in front of him then collapsed into a nearby chair.<p>

"Water from the fountain of youth," she told the god. "Please tell me the last item is something you have sitting in your kitchen cupboard. I am so sick of airplanes," she moaned.

Hephaestus laughed, it sounded like someone trying to start a car, "Don't worry, it's not to far away. Just down at Virginia Beach."

She slumped further down into her chair, "Not too bad I guess, at least I can drive. So what's at Virginia Beach?"

Hephaestus didn't answer right away. Emma waited somewhat patiently as he finished what he was working on. When he was done he handed it over to Emma who inspected it. It was just bigger than her hand and looked like a small container attached to half a ping pong ball.

"And this is ..?"

"It's what your going to use to get your final ingredient. Mermaid tears."

* * *

><p><em>Next week, Sam and Dean! Yay!<em>


	12. Chapter 12 - Family Reunion

_Sorry this is late, I really didn't want to rush it. It was actually finished yesterday but I wanted to wait until after the 200th episode to post it. This chapter takes place between 9-18 Meta Fiction and 9-19 Alex Annie Alexis Ann, the boys relationship is still strained and the Mark is effecting Dean more. -JJ_

* * *

><p><em>Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place<em>

_ Where as a child I'd hide._

_ And pray for the thunder and the rain_

_ To quietly pass me by._

_-Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns and Roses_

Dean pulled the Impala up to the sheriff's office. It was nice spring weather, the kind of weather that made you want to go sit at the beach with a couple of cold ones. That wasn't why they were at Virginia Beach though, no matter how much Dean wished it were. Not that their reason for being there was all bad, well it was bad for the spring break kids who where turning up dead. But for Dean it was a chance to finish something his Dad had started. Next to him Sam was re-reading Dad's journal entry.

"So according to Dad these killings go back for centuries. Always in early spring, always young men, each one drowned in the ocean. Happens every 70 years."

Dean grabbed his FBI badge and stuffed it in his suit coat. "Never in the same spot though?"

Sam pushed his hair out of his face, "Well kinda, it's always been this stretch of coast line, just spread out so no one ever made a connection before. Only reason Dad figured it out was because he had been searching for demonic signs." Sam closed the book and turned to look at Dean, "I can't believe you put this in your calendar."

"How else was I supposed to remember something that only happens every 70 years," he opened the door and got out, "couldn't risk missing it."

Sam unfolded himself from the car, "I guess I just figured you wouldn't want to do anything but keep hunting down Abaddon."

Dean unconsciously rubbed his hand over the Mark, "Crowley is looking, besides, this is something Dad couldn't even figure out. Don't you want to know what it is that's doing this?"

Sam made one of those little sounds he makes when he has decided to humor his older brother. "Fine Dean, let's go solve the mystery."

Dean clapped him on the back, "That's the spirit Shaggy."

"You do realize that that makes you Scooby."

"Nah, I'm Fred. I could totally rock an ascot."

Inside Sam and Dean flashed their badges at the girl at the front desk. She looked momentarily confused, but lead them straight back to the sheriff's office.

The Sheriff's office was pretty typical, except for photos of the sheriff surfing.

The sheriff himself was wearing his uniform shirt over a pair of swim trunks.

Dean decided he was going to like this guy.

"Do you guys need something?" The Sheriff asked. Rather politely, Dean thought, for such an abrupt question.

It threw Dean off a bit, "Ah..." he glanced at Sam who looked just as confused, "we are here about the recent drownings."

The Sheriff nodded, like he already knew why Sam and Dean were there.

"And, um, we just wanted to ask you a few questions."

The Sheriff shrugged, "Not sure what else I can tell you. We haven't received any new info. Did you learn anything from the bodies?"

This time it was Sam's turn to act like they knew what was going on. "Um, no, no we haven't had a chance to examine them yet."

"Oh," the Sheriff brightened, "well why don't I take you down to the morgue. Then we can all have a little powwow after that." The Sheriff got up and beckoned them to follow.

Dean exchanged a glance with Sam, who just shrugged. So they followed the Sheriff down to the morgue.

"I hope you guys are able to help us out. We're used to drownings, but 2 in the same area within a few days of each other," the Sheriff shook his head, "it's disturbing. And to make matters worse the Mayor is riding me to put a stop to it before it affects tourism."

Dean nodded sympathetically, "Always sucks when the higher up think it should be as easy as on TV."

The Sheriff laughed in agreement, "Come on, Agent Clark is in here."

Dean had already followed him through the door before what the Sheriff had said fully registered. "A, agent?"

"Hey," the Sheriff called out, before Dean could say any more, "got 2 of your compatriots here."

"Compatriots?" A female voice called back from somewhere in the room.

"Agents Barton and Coulson." The Sheriff lead them around a corner where a woman was hunched over a corpse. Dean heard her snort of laughter as she turned.

"Come again there?"

Dean's first impression of her was that she was very young, probably mid twenties. Tall, brown hair with blonde streaks that she had piled up on her head and secured it with what looked like a pencil. She was laughing when she turned but as soon as she caught sight of Sam and Dean her face fell and she paled visibly. It was just for a split second, then the smile returned.

"Ah, yes, forgot you guys were coming." She took off her blue exam gloves and stepped towards them, "Clint, Phil, good to see you guys again. It's been a while."

Dean went with it, "Too long."

The Sheriff clapped Dean on his back, "I'll let you guys get to it then. I've got to go make an appointment."

Sam and Dean were left with the girl. Dean smiled, "Let me guess, hunter?"

"Yup, so I've got this covered, you to can mosey on." She hooked a thumb towards the door.

"I don't think so," Dean was not about to let some upstart get in the way of his hunt. "See we've known about this case for quite a while. So we'll be handling it and you can hit the road."

The girl frowned, clearly annoyed that Sam and Dean weren't going to just leave. She was acting kinda weird too. She wouldn't really look at Dean. She would glance at him, then her eyes would immediately slip away to look at anything but Dean. Usually he had the opposite effect on woman.

She crossed her arms in front of her, a defensive position. "So you must know what it is that is drowning these guys?"

"Do you?" Sam asked. He didn't sound thrilled with this girl either.

She smirked, "I do, that's why I'm here. So once again, hit the road."

Dean smiled, it was going to take more than a girl with an attitude to get him to leave. "Not going to happen."

The girl huffed, then it looked like she was having some sort of internal struggle. She must have made a decision because her whole body language changed from defensive to relaxed and open.

She gave a sweet, friendly smile, "Look I appreciate that you want to help, but I really have got this. I know what the creature is, I know how to kill it, it's just a milk run. You guys would probably be bored."

Dean glanced at Sam, his brother returned his look of amused disbelief. This girl was trying to charm them into leaving the hunt. And again, not in the way Dean was used to women charming him. She was playing the nice friend who appreciates the concern but is doing fine.

Damn, she was good.

Dean was better.

"So you know where the thing is?" he asked just as nicely. Acting the part of the concerned friend.

"Ah, well, no not yet." she hedged.

Sam caught on to the game, "Do you know how many there are?" he asked, also concerned.

She shifted uncomfortably, "Not, not yet."

Dean spread his hands in a 'there you go' gesture, "Well hey, that's something we can help with."

"Absolutely." Sam nodded his agreement.

She was completely thrown, jaw working as she tried to counter. Glancing back and forth between them, not so much at Dean. Finally she clenched her jaw and crossed her arms again, "Fine. Just. Fine."

Dean suddenly felt a twinge of guilt, she seemed really uncomfortable about something. Her whole body was tensed as if she were expecting a fight. And she just couldn't meet Dean's eyes. But why this should make him feel guilty he didn't know. Normally this should make him feel suspicious, not guilty. Maybe it was because she looked so young. Dean nodded at Sam to take the lead now.

Sam cleared his throat, "So what are we dealing with here?"

"Mermaids."

"Mermaids?" Sam asked dubiously.

"Yup, it's their spawning season and there is a school of them that uses this area as their spawning grounds."

"Spawning?" That just didn't sound pleasant at all.

She shot Dean a quick glance, "You know, if you don't believe me the invitation to leave is still available."

Dean put his hands up in a placating gesture, "No, no, you seem to know all about this. We will defer to you."

Sam cleared his throat again and gave Dean his 'be nice' look. "Sorry we never introduced ourselves, I'm Sam and this is Dean."

"Rina."

"Wait," Sam was suddenly studying Rina a lot closer, "are you the hunter who was helping Cas?"

Rina brightened, "Yes, that's who I am, the hunter who helped Cas. Just that. Nothing else."

"Wait," Dean cut in, "when did Cas need help? Why didn't he call us?"

"Maybe because you left him living in the back of a gas station." Sam replied.

"What? Cas was never living in the back of a gas station."

"Yes, he was!" Sam and Rina replied in unison. They were both giving Dean angry looks.

"He told me, Dean." Sam said, "He would probably still be there if Rina hadn't found him and brought him somewhere safe."

Dean ground his teeth, he knew where the conversation was heading. And quite frankly he was getting sick of Sam's constant reminders of how much he had screwed up over the last few months. "Let's just get back to business, ok?"

Sam spared him one last angry glare, but let it drop. Dean turned back to Rina, who was finally looking at him, it was an angry look, but still an improvement.

"So," Dean said with forced enthusiasm, "how do we gank Ariel?"

Rina rolled her eyes, "Well first of all think less Disney and more Hans Christen Anderson. Mermaids are basically sirens that live in the water. They have tails but during their spawning season they can turn their tail into a pair of legs, thus letting them walk around on dry land to catch a mate." Rina began stripping off the protective gown she had on. Underneath was a pantsuit, very FBI looking. "The victims are taken into the water where the mermaids mate with them, then they are left to drown."

Dean cringed, worst hookup ever. "So why do the mermaids need humans? Why not just find a nice merman?"

"You're thinking too much Disney again. Mermen were something made up only recently because somebody probably thought it was sexist to only have mermaids." Rina tossed her gloves and gown away. "The two victims were in their early twenties, strong and healthy. Perfect mates."

"Yeah well with spring break in full swing there are probably a lot of perfect mates to choose from." Sam sighed.

"So I repeat," Dean put in, "how do we gank 'em?"

"Let's take this conversation else where," Rina pulled the pencil, it was a pencil, out of her hair," Cause even though I'm loving the smell in here, I need some lunch. There is a diner down the road, crowded and noisy, perfect place to discuss how to kill mythical creatures."

Sam nodded, "Sure, did we need to check back in with the Sheriff?"

Rina laughed and started heading out the door, "Carl's appointment was down at the beach with his surf board."

They followed Rina back out to the parking lot. Dean wasn't sure about this girl. She knew an awful lot about something that was very obscure. But there was something else bugging him about her, something he couldn't put his finger on. He couldn't even decide if it was something bad. It was just a small nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

Out in the parking lot Dean stopped in his tracks when he saw the vehicle Rina was getting into.

"What the hell is that?"

Rina scowled, "It's my Jeep." She was sounding defensive again. As she should.

"Don't you mean a douche mobile?" The thing had an actual wench in the front. Who needs a wench? And how many lights can you fit on one vehicle? Apparently Rina had wanted to find out.

Rina's expression turned darker, "I didn't ask for your opinion."

"Well you should have asked for someone's opinion, maybe somebody who doesn't use the word 'narly' on a regular basis."

"Dean!" Sam reproached.

"What? It's like a monster truck wanna be."

Rina was fuming now. "It's my Jeep and I will do what I want, however I want." She slammed the door shut then peeled out of the parking lot. She took the turn onto the main road so fast Dean was worried the thing might tip over.

"Drives like a maniac too."

"Dean!" Sam sounded exasperated, "What is your problem? You wanted to work this case, so maybe you should stop trying to piss of the person with all the intel we need."

Dean just shook his head, "Fine, I'll play nice."

"Thank you," Sam sighed, he sounded kinda tired. "You wanted to do this hunt for Dad, right? Finish what he started? So let's just focus on that, not worry about the douchey Jeep."

Dean couldn't help a little laugh as they got into the Impala. "I knew you agreed with me."

Sam laughed too, "It is a little over the top."

"A little?! Sammy it's so far over the top she has the top on there somewhere as well."

They headed down the road to the diner chuckling about spotlights and cable wenches.

They found the diner no problem since the behemoth was easy to spot from the road. They parked, far away from the Jeep, and went in to find Rina.

She was sitting in a corner booth reading a menu, trying to appear as though she hadn't stormed off earlier.

"I hear the chicken fried steak is excellent here," she told them as they sat down.

Dean smiled, trying to show how nice he was, "Sounds good, I'll have to try it."

Rina eyed him suspiciously, then went back to ignoring him.

They order their food, then waited for it to arrive. Rina had taken out her laptop and was doing something. What she wasn't doing was telling Sam and Dean anything about mermaids. A few times Dean would start to ask her a question only to have Sam nudge him, or in one case, slam his Goliath sized foot onto Dean's toe.

Finally after the food had arrived, Rina started talking. "So as I said earlier, mermaids are the sirens of the ocean. The way they trap their victim is to sing to them. The song compels the person to do whatever the mermaid says."

"So what, they come up to them and sing the Piña Colada song and these guys just followed them into the ocean?" Dean speared another piece of his chicken fried steak, it was pretty good.

"More or less, though no one knows what the mermaid's song actually sounds like. The only ones who have ever heard it don't get to tell the rest of us about it." Rina took a bit of her hamburger, "Though I suppose Ulysses heard it and lived to tell about it. It kind of drove him mad so I'm not sure he would be a good source."

Dean saw Sam suppressing a grin, trying to cover it with a bite of fried fish. A meal Rina had insisted he get instead of his usual salad. Dean had been very surprised when Sam easily gave in. He must be trying really hard to build a good working relationship.

"Speaking of sources," Dean said, "who's yours. I'm just wondering because you seem to know a lot about this."

Rina didn't even pause, "I've got a good network going, couple of unique informants, the usual." She suddenly put her burger down and leaned forward, eyes shining with excitement. "I'm actually in the process of setting up a new hunter network. One worthy of the current century. Using GPS to keep track of everyone, putting all of the lore books and hunter's journals into an electronic database that any hunter can access from anywhere."

Now Sam's eyes were shining, "Really? I've thought about how great it would be to have something like that, but I never had the resources. Or willing volunteers." he nudged his head towards Dean. Dean ignored the jibe.

"It helps having Gary on my side, he's my home base and he helps convince hunters to give technology a try."

"Oh, do you mean Gary Brooks?"

Rina nodded.

"Cas told me about him."

Dean had been concentrating on his food, waiting out the geek feast. But at Cas' name he was paying attention again. "Wait, who did Cas tell you about?"

"Gary Brooks, he's a hunter, well retired hunter. That's were Cas stayed after rina found him. Remember I told you he was having homemade apple pie for Thanksgiving?" How could Dean forget, Sam had found great joy rubbing it in his face. "Well that was at Gary's place."

How nice, Dean groused to himself, looks like Cas had made all sorts of friends while he was supposedly destitute and neglected.

"Anyway," Rina was looking at Dean rather oddly, "back to mermaids. Again."

"Right, sorry." Sam gestured for her to continue.

"Ok, so the song only effects males," she gestured at Sam and Dean, "another reason for you not to do this hunt."

She just wouldn't stop trying to get them to leave.

"And there is no way to counteract it other than killing the mermaid." She chewed a French fry thoughtfully, "I suppose we could get you some noise canceling headphones. I'm pretty sure I have a pair."

Dean suppressed an eye roll, "So other than headphones, what works against them?"

"Same thing that works against any saltwater creature, freshwater." She pulled out a small travel bag, it contained several large syringes that held a clear liquid. "Distilled water, it's as poisonous to mermaids as arsenic is to humans."

"Huh," Sam picked on up to inspect it, "got a few to spare?"

"Oh sure, you can inject them while their putting you under their spell." Rina replied flippantly.

This time Dean couldn't keep the annoyance out if his voice, "You know we do have some experience going after monster that have it out for men."

"Oh really, and how did that always work out for you?"

Whatever had been making Rina uncomfortable around Dean was gone now. Now she was just mouthy.

Sam leaned over to Dean to say lowly, "She's read the supernatural books."

Rina's groan matched Dean's.

"Seriously?"

"I still can believe Cas told you about that."

Their waitress appeared at that moment, "How's everything here?"

"Excellent," Dean told her with a wink. He saw Rina roll her eyes. But the waitress had been especially attentive to their table and Dean was not going to let I go unnoticed.

"I brought you a slice if our blueberry pie, cook's specialty," she placed a piece of pie down in front of Rina.

_What?_

Rina smiled up at her, "Thanks! I love blueberry."

The waitress blushed and scurried away.

_Ah._

"I was going to go do interviews this afternoon. We can split up and get more done. Mmmm, this pie is great, like I've discovered pie heaven."

Sam tried to hide his laugh with a cough, but Dean knew.

Rina just kept eating her pie. "So the first victim, John Bitstock, was down here with his frat brothers. You guys can take them. I'll go interview the latest victim's girlfriend."

"Afraid you can't handle a bunch of horny college kids?" Dean chuckled. Sam kicked him under the table again.

Rina seemed unfazed, "I'm worried I might break a few faces actually."

She grabbed a napkin and wrote down an address and phone number, "Here's the hotel their staying at and that's my number. Call if you get into trouble."

"If _we_ get into trouble?"

Rina gathered up her stuff and got ready to leave. Apparently the conversation was over.

"Let's meet back here for dinner and compare notes, k?"

"Um, sure." Sam stammered out, trying to retain some semblance of this being a joint operation.

"Great." Rina took one more bit of her pie before sliding the mostly uneaten piece over to Dean. "See ya." And she was gone.

"Well that was interesting," Sam said.

"Yeah," Dean grabbed his fork and dug into the pie, "Oh, oh yeah it's good."

Suddenly the waitress came hurrying over.

"Did she not like the pie?" She asked, she seemed very anxious about it.

"No, she liked it," Dean reassured. " In fact she said it was like she found pie heaven."

The waitress let out a breath of relief, "Oh, good." She cleared away the empty plates and left again. Dean turned to Sam, "Should we get her number for Rina?"

* * *

><p>Dean was expecting a bunch if wild frat boys partying away their spring break. What they found instead was a group of drunk but somber guys.<p>

They were given a few slurred statements before they figured out that the last person to see John was a guy named Doug.

Doug was passed out in the bathroom when they found him. Sam and Dean hauled him into the shower and turned it full blast to cold. Even after that it took a few cups of coffee before he was coherent enough to tell them anything.

"I don't know what happened," Doug mumbled miserably into his coffee cup. "We'd been hanging out with some girls all night at the club Seashells down near the beach. John went to grab us some more drinks. He was only a couple feet away from us, I turned around and he was just gone." Doug looked like he was going to lose it.

"Where these girls ones you met at the club?" Sam asked gently. That's why Sam was the lead in these situations.

Doug shook his head, "We know them from school, they were down here for spring break too."

So much for that angle.

They headed back to their motel room for some good old research. Sam would research mermaids while Dean planned on researching something else.

"So get this," Sam called from behind his laptop, "mermaids have to mate in the water, that's why all of the victims are

drowned. Also their tears are coveted for their miraculous healing powers."

"So we should make them cry before ganking them?"

"I guess so." Sam tapped away on his keyboard, "Huh, it also says that though they can change form on land so that they have legs it is extremely painful. Like walking on knives."

Dean cringed, "Ouch."

"Yeah, so what have you found?"

Dean tossed his cell phone down on the bed, "Got a hold of a few hunters we know, two of them have heard of Rina, Jonas has actually met her."

"So?"

"So?"

"So why are you still acting like something's wrong?" Sam asked.

Dean sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his hand through his hair. Why did he still think something was wrong? She had checked out and Cas had even vouched for her when Dean had called him. In fact the angel seemed really happy that Dean was working with her.

So what was his problem?

He guessed it was just this nagging feeling he got when he was around Rina. Like he was missing a piece of a puzzle.

"Dean!" Sam shouting his name snapped him out of his thoughts.

"I don't know Sam, I just think something is wrong, ok?"

Sam scoffed, "Are you sure it's not because the waitress gave her pie and not you?"

"Screw you."

A knock at the door interrupted their brotherly moment. Sam answered it and Dean was surprised when Rina came breezing in like she owned the place.

"Hey guys, working hard or hardly working?" She sat herself down in one of the armchairs in the room.

Dean just stared at her, "How did you know where we were staying?" he demanded, completely ignoring Sam's disapproving look.

"Cas told me," she grabbed Sam's half drunk beer and took a swig out of it, "apparently you called him to vet me."

Apparently Dean needed to explain 'Bros before Hoes' to Cas.

"I thought I would come by and see if you guys found out anything." She drank some more of Sam's beer and Dean finally saw his brother beginning to lose his composer.

"Help yourself," Sam mumbled.

Rina ignored him. "So what did you learn?"

Dean smirked at Sam, then turned to Rina. "All we learned was that John was last seen by his friend at the club Seashells."

Rina sat up, "That's where Nick Jefferson, the other victim, was last seen. His girlfriend told me they had gone there for drinks. Nick was at the bar one minute, then the next he was gone."

"That's what our guy said happened too," Dean leaned forward, "went to get a few drinks from the bar then was gone."

Rina grinned, "Sounds like a led to me. Let me get changed and we can head over and check out the club."

"Why do you need to get changed?" Dean couldn't see anything wrong with her pantsuit. No blood, no rips.

Rina rolled her eyes, "I'm not going clubbing dressed like this." She went out to her Jeep and came back a few minutes later with a duffel. "Mind if I borrow your bathroom? And you guys should at least change into something more casual. The FBI look isn't going to help you blend in at a club." She went into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Dean spared Sam a glance, "Yeah, she's great. Not annoying at all."

She was right though, they should change so they could blend in better. Dean shucked off his suit and grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, then threw his jacket on. Sam got similarly dressed, then they waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Dean finally lost it, "What is she doing in there?" He got up and stomped over to the door.

"Dean," Sam warned.

Dean ignored him and pounded on the door.

"What?" an annoyed Rina called through the door.

"What is taking you so long?"

"I'm getting ready."

"You've been in there for over 20 minutes. Sam and I are waiting for you."

"I'll be done in a minute."

Dean grabbed his cell phone and set the timer.

"Are you seriously going to time her?" Sam asked.

"She said she would be done in a minute. I'm giving her a minute."

"You've got issues," Sam scoffed.

The timer went off.

"Ok, it's been a minute!" Dean yelled through the bathroom door.

"Were you timing me?"

"You said one minute, time to go."

"Ugh, you are such a pain. I'm almost done."

"Young lady you get your ass out here right this second!"

Sam stared at Dean, "Dude, did you just call her young lady?"

Dean paused his door pounding, "I did, didn't I, that was kinda weird huh."

"No, it was really weird."

The bathroom door slammed open, a very pissed looking Rina giving Dean a death glare. "Can't I get some privacy for 5 minutes." She stormed past Dean, "Let's go."

"Whoa, hold on," Dean called after her, "you're not going dressed like that."

Rina turned to stare dumbfounded at Dean. He suddenly realized he was being unreasonable, but he'd be damned if he was going to back down. And really, her outfit was ridiculous.

She was wearing incredibly short shorts, a white tank top that was practically see through. And these strappy heels that were completely impractical for running in. Not to mention all the makeup she had on.

"I'm sorry," Rina started, putting as much attitude into her voice as was humanly possible, "did you just tell me I can't go dressed like this? The way I dress is fine. At least I'm not trying to impersonate the guys from Florida Georgia Line." Gesturing towards Sam and Dean.

Sam apparently couldn't take it anymore, he turned away from Rina, a hand clapped over his mouth, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

Dean stalwartly ignored him. "There is nothing wrong with the way I dress. You, on the other hand look like you get your clothes from a Victoria's Secret catalog."

"Well you would know."

"Ok!" Sam had pulled himself together, he grabbed Dean's arm and began steering him towards the door, "How bout we just all head over to the club and catch some mermaids." Sam had to almost drag Dean out of the room.

Rina followed behind, "Fine, but we're taking the Jeep."

Next to him Sam groaned.

"I'm not getting in that thing," Dean informed her.

Rina turned red, she was so mad. "You know, Cas likes my Jeep."

"Well Cas is currently driving around a pimp mobile, so there you go."

Rina looked ready to kill. She sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out, "You know what, I don't have to put up with your crap. I was perfectly happy doing this hunt all by myself until you showed up and ruined everything. So just go do whatever you want, I don't care. I'm going to go kill some mermaids." She wrenched open the door of her Jeep, "Just don't come crying to me if you get drug to the bottom of the ocean!" She climbed into the vehicle, an impressive feat in those shoes, slammed the door shut and Dean once again watched her tear away like a maniac.

Dean turned to Sam, who looked somewhere between exasperated and amused.

"What?!"

Sam held his hands up, "Nothing, just..."

"Just what?"

Sam stifled a laugh, "You were kinda talking to her like she was a kid."

"Was not."

"Yeah, ya were," Sam lost his battle and let out a big dorky gaffe.

"Shut up, and get in the car before I decide to make you walk."

* * *

><p>The club was on of those loud obnoxious places with lasers and techno music that was nothing more than the same beat over and over. And no one was over the age of 30.<p>

It was the type of place Dean absolutely hated.

"How are we suppose to learn anything when we can't even hear?" Dean shouted. He was already done with this place.

"Well having Rina might help," Sam shouted back.

Dean scowled, "How would that help?"

Sam pointed across the room, "Because she's already got a group of guys to talk to."

Dean looked where Sam was pointing, sure enough Rina was there leaning casually against the bar, surrounded by a bunch of drunk college boys. A growl rumbled through his chest at the sight. He was already starting forward when Sam caught his arm.

"She's not going to get any info if you go over there and scare them all off."

Sam was right, Dean didn't like that he was right, but they needed info if they were going to find out how the mermaids were taking guys from the club without any one noticing. So Dean settled down at a table Sam had found that was far enough away not to interfere with the court Rina was holding, but close enough for Dean to interfere if any of those guys got frisky.

Sam must have gotten them drinks because a whiskey was suddenly in front of Dean.

"Dude, stop staring," Sam sipped his beer as he scanned the room.

"I'm not staring," he grabbed the whiskey and took a healthy swig, "I'm keeping a weathered eye on the situation."

Sam scoffed, "Sure. How about keeping a weathered eye on the rest of the club too."

Dean frowned, but started scanning the room, looking for anything odd that might be their mermaid. Or at least he tried to. Really he did, but he kept going back to check that Rina was ok. She annoyed the hell out of him but he wasn't about to let anything happen to her on his watch.

After a while he started to notice a pattern to the guys coming and going around he. At first he thought it was just the usual thing of guys getting discouraged and leaving while new ones took their place. Now he could see that Rina would have a couple of guys she was chatting up, then, like they had been dismissed, they would leave and Rina would turn to the next few. She did this over and over again until Dean started to suspect she had gone through almost every guy in the club. Including ones who were clearly here with someone.

Suddenly all the men disappeared from around her and she was heading over to the table.

She collapsed in a chair with a sigh, "I think I might have actually lost brain cells talking to some of those guys." She rubbed her forehead like she was in pain.

"Did you learn anything?"

"I learned college boys are idiots. Horny idiots. Is that whiskey?" She didn't wait for his answer, just grabbed the glass and downed the contents.

"So what now?" Dean asked glancing around. Sam was perusing the room, it was easy to keep track of the sasquatch even in the crowded club.

Rina continued to massage her temples, "Ugh, something is driving me crazy. Like a really, really annoying mosquito buzzing in my ear and working its way into my brain."

"I don't hear anything." He glanced around again for Sam, his brother was completing his circuit and was heading back towards them. He saw Dean looking and gave a small shake of his head to indicate that he'd found nothing. Dean held up his empty glass and shook it to indicate he needed a new drink. The club was dimly lit and Dean could barely make out Sam's face, he could still tell Sam was rolling his eyes. Dean was suddenly distracted by Rina, who had stood up and was looking around frantically.

"What the hell is that?" She was starting to look a little crazed, "Is it the music?"

Dean listened for a moment, "It sounds pretty good to me."

Rina stopped looking around to stare at Dean. "This music sounds good to you?"

"Yeah."

Rina was studying him now, "Good as in it is coming through the speakers nice and clear. Or good as in you like it?"

"I like it, I guess."

Rina gave him a dubious look, "You like this music?" Didn't he just tell her that? "This specific song?"

She was starting to get on his nerves again. "Yes I like this specific song."

"Lady Gaga's Bad Romance?"

"Y..." wait a minute, he hated this song. He hated all the music he had heard tonight, except he didn't. "What the hell?"

"The music," Rina looked up at the ceiling where the music was being pumped out. Then she glanced back down at Dean, eyes wide with understanding. "The music! The mermaid song must be mixed in with the music."

"Like a subliminal message?" That was disturbing, "So why isn't every guy in here a zombie?"

"It's just the song, no instructions. But it's genius, all the mermaid has to do is give one command and the guy will follow it."

"Great, how are we suppose to catch them then? We can't stop every girl from talking to guys."

"Both victims were last seen at the bar getting drinks." Rina glanced over at the bar.

Dean felt his stomach drop. At the bar. Getting drinks. "Oh crap!" Dean stood so fast that his chair fell over. A couple people flung obscenities his way, he ignored them. He also ignored Rina who was asking what was wrong.

Sam was an easy person to spot in a crowd, but no matter how hard Dean looked around the bar or even the rest of the club, Sam was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

><p>S<em>am and Dean meeting Emma was not suppose to come until later in the story, but I had so many requests to bring them in as soon as possible that I started to think of a way to do it without derailing the plot I have going (yes I actually have a plan). Just a week or so ago I hit on an idea and this is the result. When thinking about how Dean would behave with Emma I thought he would probably be one of those over protective Dad's. Especially since he's such a womanizer himself and knows how guys react to a pretty girl. I could also see them butting heads a lot since they are both very strong willed. And Sam going from exasperated at their behavior to amused. I think once he knows who Rina really is he will just be mostly amused. Let me know if there was a part you liked, I love positive feedback. Negative feedback makes me grouchy then I don't want to write. And constant negative feedback from the same person over and over again just makes me not read and delete anything I see from you. :) -JJ<em>


	13. Chapter 13 - Disney Got It Wrong

_I know, I'm really late with an update. I'm only getting this up now because I stayed up way too late._

_Please remember that all new chapters are unedited. There will be mistakes. They will eventually be caught and fixed by my editor. -JJ_

* * *

><p><em> And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,<em>

_Little boy blue and the man in the moon._

_-Cats in the Cradle by Ugly Kid Joe_

* * *

><p>"What is wrong?" Rina grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him around to face her.<p>

"Sam was just at the bar, but I don't see him now."

Rina gave a quick nod, "Help me up."

"Whoa, what are you doing?" he yelled as she climbed up onto one of the chairs. Dean tried grabbing her to pull her down but she just shook him off and got up on the table. "Get down from there," he hissed. Of course she ignored him.

Several guys nearby started cat calling. "Hey!" Dean barked. The guys jumped, caught Dean's glare, then hurried away.

"I don't see him." Rina climbed back down, much to Dean's relief. "There must be a mermaid stationed at the bar, picking out the victims. Hey, wait!"

Dean wasn't going to wait, he started pushing his way through the crowd. At the bar he checked over each girl. Most were with a guy or two, a couple of single girls gathered in a group, but nothing to indicate if any of them were fish woman in disguise.

In desperation Dean grabbed the bartender as he went by, "Hey, I'm looking for my brother, freakishly tall, girly hair."

"Sorry man, try Tiffany," he indicated the other bartender.

The sound of breaking glass made Dean turn but he couldn't see the source of the noise. He realized he couldn't see Rina either.

"You're looking for your brother?"

Dean turned back to the bar, the other bartender was looking at him. A female bartender. It suddenly clicked.

Dean made to move away but the bartender grabbed his arm, "Go through the backdoor and into the alley, now." She let go and Dean calmly walked to the backdoor near the bar and out into the alley.

* * *

><p>"Hey, wait!" Emma tried to grab Dean but the crowd surged around him and she was cut off. "Damn it!" She began making her way towards the direction he had gone when suddenly she was grabbed from behind.<p>

"Hey, we need to dance." It was one of the guys she had been talking to earlier.

She untangled herself from his grip, "Not right now, I'm a little busy."

"No," he grabbed her again, "we have to dance, right now."

Aaannd she was officially fed up. "You'd better take your hands off me right now if you want to keep them," she growled.

Someone else grabbed her arm.

"We need to dance."

It was another guy, one she didn't recognize from before.

"I'm flattered boys, but I've got a thing."

Another guy was right up in her face

"We need to dance."

"What the..?" This was getting weird.

Two more guys appeared to her right.

"We need to dance."

"Oh crap." She was being surrounded on all sides by men, each one trying to drag her off to the dance floor. Apparently the zombie portion of the evening was being put into place. She had to hand it to these mermaids, they were fiendishly clever.

Emma was trying not to seriously hurt anyone but break free at the same time. It was not easy. She ducked and spun, but no matter where she turned there were just more guys. And it was starting to cause a commotion as tables got over turned and broken glass littered the floor.

"Alright, break it up!" The gruff voice of one of the bouncers came from somewhere to the left. Emma hoped it was the bald guy with all the tattoos, he'd looked like he could handle himself.

All hoping was knocked out of her when several guys tackled her to the ground. Literally. They must have been football players or on the wrestling team. Either way she was down in the middle of a mob that was completely focused on her.

Time to pull out the monster inside.

She sucked in a deep breath, not easy when you're at the bottom of a dog pile, and threw every ounce of compulsion she had into her voice.

"GET OFF OF ME!"

Surprisingly it worked. Everyone scrambled to get off her at once and she was now lying on the floor in the middle of a circle of guys who were looking around confused. Emma seized the opportunity and leapt to her feet.

"Get out of my way!" she wasn't sure if they moved because of her Amazon powers or because she looked ready to kill someone. Maybe both.

Getting clear of the crowd she headed towards the bar. Obviously they had been made and the mermaids probably had Sam. Maybe they hadn't gotten Dean yet but she didn't see him anywhere near the bar.

On her third pass she noticed the girl bartender starting at her, horror written on her face. Emma realized she was still in monster mode. Most people would just pass off the red and gold as make up. But any other monster who had been around for more than a century would know what she was. Just like the one that was serving drinks at the bar, where she could easily talk to anyone.

"Oh you clever fishes."

The mermaid realized Emma had spotted her. She turned and ran, ducking under the bar then out a door in the back. Emma chased after her, knocking an eager dance partner out of the way as she went.

The door led to the back alley but nobody was there.

"The girl, she's an Amazon! Forget that one, we have to go!" Emma heard the distressed shouting and headed towards it.

She burst out of the alley to see the mermaid she had been chasing along with two others and a dune buggy. Sam was already in the back of the dune buggy while Dean was standing complacent nearby. One of the mermaids had his right sleeve rolled up and looked to be inspecting his arm.

"Dean! Kill her!"

Dean shuddered like he was waking up and he focused on the mermaid in front of him. The mermaid opened her mouth to say something but never got the chance. Dean slammed a syringe into her neck. The mermaid cried out then collapsed to the ground in convulsions.

The other two mermaids, upon seeing what had happened, jumped into the dune buggy and took off with Sam still in the back.

Emma ran at Dean, grabbed his arm, and pulled him towards where she had parked her Jeep. She had suppressed the monster so her face was back to normal. Hopefully she could finish this without having to pull it back out again.

Dean was fighting against her, "We've got to go after them, they have Sam!"

"I know and we are." She skidded to a halt, pushing Dean around to the other side, "Get in."

Dean balked, "I'm not getting in this thing."

Emma didn't have time to put up with his crap. She spun on him, "Look, they have to take him to the ocean, which means following them will involve driving on the beach. And the Impala wouldn't make it two feet. So screw your pride and get in the friggin' Jeep!" She didn't wait to see what he did, a small part of her didn't want to, she just jumped into the driver seat. Turning her tracking system on she was glad she had taken the time to get it set up earlier. At the sound of the passenger door opening that small part of her gave a little surge of happy.

"What's that?" Dean asked, pointing at the console screen where two dots were blinking.

"That's Sam," Emma pointed at the first dot that was moving, "and this is us," indicating the second dot that was stationery. "Well, technically you."

Dean stared at the screen with a little frown. Then he got it, "Whoa, hold on. Did you tag us?"

"And aren't you glad I did." She kicked off her heels and started the Jeep up, checked the display one more time then took off in the direction the mermaids had gone.

Meanwhile Dean was searching all over his clothes, "Where is it?!"

Emma sighed, "Left inside pocket. I only put it there in case one of you was taken. Which, I might point out, did happen."

Dean pulled a small tracker, about the size of a button. "You can't go around putting trackers on people without their permission!"

Emma ignored him, "Hang on." She jumped the curb, drove over a sidewalk and rammed a fence to get on the beach. Dean swore as he was knocked against the window then the roof.

"You drive like a maniac!"

"You're welcome." Which reminded her, "In the glove box there is a small black case." Dean opened up the glove box and easily found the box she had put in there earlier. Inside were two little ear buds. "Put them in your ears, they should block out the mermaid's song."

"Should?"

"Well I haven't had a chance to test them," why did he question everything she did? She checked the screen, they were closing in on Sam. Dean was putting the ear buds in as Emma flipped on the spotlights on the front of her Jeep. In the distance they could just barely make out the dune buggy.

"It looks like they're heading towards the pier," Dean said.

"Wonderful," it was not wonderful. Emma steered in the direction of the pier. It was one of those big, wide ones, wide enough to drive a car onto. Which meant a dune buggy could easily make it. Emma had been going as fast as she could

and they had almost caught up with the mermaids when she drove onto the pier. Ahead they could see the mermaids had stopped at the very end of the pier.

Dean swore.

Emma had to agree with Dean, things were definitely hitting the fan. They could see the mermaids quickly pulling Sam out of their dune buggy. Emma imagined it had been hard for them to miss the big, light up vehicle barreling toward them. And probably pretty easy to figure out who was chasing them. She just hoped they didn't start shouting 'Amazon' again.

Dean had his gun in one hand and a syringe of fresh water in the other. Emma slammed the Jeep to a stop, barely remembering to put the vehicle in park before hopping out.

"You get Sam I'll take the mermaids," she called to Dean, who had also gotten out.

"I'll get Sam, you take care of Neptune's daughters."

Well at least the ear buds seemed to be working. Emma nodded her understanding and they advanced together.

In retrospect, Emma thought, they should have realized that there would be other mermaids around.

Emma went down when a cold damp hand grabbed her ankle. In an instant she was fighting two mermaids at once. They were still in their true form, tails and all. Not that that was holding them back. These fishes were strong, and as an added bonus they had claws too. Big razor sharp ones and pointy teeth. Their hair was knotted into dreads and they had some sort of woven seaweed shirt on. And to top it all off they were covered in a thin layer of slime. Emma was never going to be able to watch The Little Mermaid, ever again.

The mermaids were trying to drag Emma to the edge of the pier, no doubt to get her in the water where they would have the advantage. Emma heaved one of them off her then got the other in a choke hold. The first came right back at her, they were fast for having tails instead of legs. She dispatched the one she was holding with a syringe she'd gripped in her hand the moment she had exited the Jeep. She tossed the convulsing creature aside and rolled to avoid the other one. The mermaid scrambled to turn, then used her tail to push off the railing and launch herself at Emma, who was ready and waiting. She plunged the second syringe into its tail as she was knocked to the ground.

She looked around for Dean and saw him wrestling his own mermaid. Apparently he had only warranted one attacker, the mermaids had probably thought to just put him under their spell and be done with it. The mermaid seemed confused that it wasn't working. Emma wanted to cover her ears at the sound of the song but then she heard something worse. A large splash. She snapped her head in the direction she had last seen Sam, but he wasn't there. Neither were the two mermaids who had taken him.

She glanced back at Dean, he was still wrestling with his attacker. A few feet away lay an unused syringe. Emma made a split second decision and took off towards the end of the pier. As she ran she pulled on her monster half, not caring who saw, knowing she would need it. At the end of the pier she leapt over the railing and into the cold Atlantic ocean.

It was dark and murky. Emma had no idea where Sam and the mermaids had gone. She paused for a moment to try to get a feel for Sam's direction. She would have been able to find Dean in a second. His soul called out to her loud and strong. Sam was a little harder, she needed to focus on the part of his soul he shared in common with Dean. After what felt like an eternity, but was probably closer to five seconds, she felt a slight tug to her left. She immediately took off after it.

How fast could mermaids swim? This would have been a good thing to know before trying to chase two of them down. She made a quick air break, then took off again.

It was starting to feel hopeless when she finally caught a break. She suddenly felt Sam above her and upon looking up she saw him. The mermaids had brought him up to the surface for air. She surged forward as fast as she could, she was an excellent swimmer, but she doubted she could compete with anyone with a tail.

But the mermaids didn't seem to be in a rush at all. In fact they were swimming almost lazily, letting Sam have plenty of breathing time. Emma realized they didn't know they were being followed. Probably hadn't even thought someone would.

Obviously these fishes had never encountered the Winchester's. Heck, Emma was surprised Dean hadn't already caught up with her.

She put on another burst of speed and reached the bartender mermaid just as the creature was looking down into the water with a puzzled expression. The expression turned to alarm when she caught sight of Emma, but it was too late as Emma stabbed her in the tail with the last syringe.

The bartender mermaid gave a cry, then began to sink when the convulsions hit. The other mermaid looked around and saw Emma as she broke the surface for air. The mermaid immediately dove, taking Sam with her. Emma just managed to grab the tail of Sam's plaid shirt as he was pulled under. Hanging on Emma went down too. She used Sam as a sort of latter, climbing up his torso, trying to reach the mermaid. For his part, Sam was still completely out of it, but he did seem to be holding his breath.

Making sure to keep a hold of him, Emma pulled a knife out of her back pocket and slashed at the mermaids arm. The mermaid's scream was muffled by the water as she let go of Sam. Emma was ready and immediately started pulling him back up.

When they broke the surface, Emma gasping, Sam calm as ever, Emma used the compulsion in her voice to snap him out of it. "Sam! Swim to the shore!"

Sam blinked, shook his head once, then his eyes went wide with panic.

Oops, it should have occurred to Emma that waking up in the middle of the ocean would be alarming. Before she could calm him down he suddenly disappeared under the waves.

"No!" Emma dove under. The mermaid had grabbed Sam by the leg and seemed intent on dragging him under. But this time Sam wasn't under the spell of the mermaid song and was fighting back ferociously. Kicking at the mermaid's head and trying to fight his way back to the surface, he managed to slow down their decent long enough for Emma to catch back up.

She slashed at the mermaid again, and again the mermaid let Sam go. But this time Emma pressed her attack, slashing and stabbing at the mermaid. Trying to injure it enough that it would give either die or just give up.

The mermaid broke free from Emma, circled down under her, then swam full speed, claws out for attack. Emma was trying to swim to avoid the attack when suddenly the mermaid stopped, swung around and swam off just as fast.

Emma was feeling rather proud of herself when a shape nearby caught her eye and made her blood run cold.

Great White sharks are really big and really scary up close. Emma froze, sinking as she tried to blend in with the water. Fortunately the shark was intent on chasing the bleeding mermaid. Once Emma could no longer see the predator she kicked her way back to the surface, quickly found Sam and caught up with him.

"There's a Great White down there, probably more heading our way. They'll be following the scent of blood so the farther we are from here the better."

Sam was looking at her in alarm and it took her a seconds to realize he wasn't worried about sharks.

"You're an Amazon," he gasped trying to swim away from her while still keeping her in sight.

She had forgotten she was still in monster mode. Again. This was becoming a bad habit.

"Sam, I'm not going to hurt you, I swear," she didn't want to use compulsion on him.

Sam just laughed, which got him a mouth full of water. He coughed and sputtered and Emma used the opportunity to get behind him. He tried to turn but she grabbed him in a choke hold. He fought against her for air trying to pull her arms away. She just held on until he finally passed out. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she swam them back to the pier, the lights from her Jeep guiding the way.

They hadn't gone too far into the ocean, but it was still not easy keeping someone almost twice her size and unconscious afloat. It was with great relief that she spotted the pier coming into view. Suddenly a spotlight swept over them.

"Sammy!"

Dean's shout roused Sam, he began to struggle against Emma again. They were only a couple of yards from the pier now so Emma let him go, but not before pushing him under just long enough for her to get a head start. She pulled up the last of her strength and swam all out to the ladder that hung down from the pier, reached it and quickly hauled herself out of the water. Sparing a quick glance behind she could see Sam trying to catch up. She faintly heard him yelling something, but it was swallowed up by the sound of waves crashing on the beach.

The ladder was slippery and Emma lost her footing briefly. She felt so drained but the perils of her night weren't over yet. She began climbing again, doing her best to control her shaking legs. From above a light shone down on her, Emma looked up to see her father reaching a hand down towards her.

* * *

><p>Dean had seen Sam go over the railing with the two mermaids. He would have gone after him if it hadn't been for the mermaid that was trying to dig her claws into his face.<p>

The mermaid had figured out Dean wasn't affected by her song, so instead she was attempting to rip his throat out. He threw the mermaid off him and looked up just in time to see Rina leaping over the railing after Sam. A wave of relief hit him as he scrambled to follow her. He didn't get far before the mermaid grabbed his legs and he crashed down onto the wooden planks again.

Dean had decided very quickly that he hated mermaids. They were nothing like what the movies had made them out to be. These were not sexy, seashell wearing babes. They were mean, slippery, bad tempered, nasty things. And their breath, "Ugh, ever heard of Listerine?" The mermaid just snapped her pointed teeth at him and sliced at his chest. He just managed to block it with his arm, the sharp claws sliced through his jacket and shirt easily and Dean felt the burning pain that meant blood had been drawn.

A cold rage settled in him. He rolled and got the monster under him. It tried swiping him again, he caught the things arm and twisted it hard. He felt the satisfying pop as the shoulder joint dislocated and the mermaid screamed in pain. Then he just pounded its face as hard as he could with his fists, each impact filling a need deep inside him. Even after the monster stilled he continued to strike it, over and over again.

He stopped when hitting the thing stopped feeling good. He rolled of the mermaid, found the syringe, and plunged the needle into its stomach. "Should have stayed under the sea."

Satisfied the thing was dead he left it and ran over to where Sam and Rina had gone over. The pier had lights but they didn't reach to the black water below. Dean cast around for something to use as a search light, his eyes fell on Rina's Jeep.

He had to move the dune buggy first, the mermaids had left the thing running. Rina had taken her keys so Dean quickly hot wired it and drove it up to the railing. The powerful lights did illuminate more, but Dean still couldn't see any sign of Sam or Rina.

He was wondering where he could get a boat when it occurred to him that Rina was probably the type to carry a bunch of fancy equipment. His suspicions were immediately confirmed when he pulled open the trunk and mounted to the side was a large, rectangular flash light. It was plugged in to a cigarette lighter so hopefully that meant it was charged. Dean grabbed it, ran back to the railing, and flipped it on.

"Whoa, that's bright." The flashlight was actually a small spotlight.

Dean began sweeping the area around the pier and out further in the ocean, desperate for a glimpse of Sam. It was on the third sweep, when the tight feeling in his chest was becoming too much, that he caught a glimpse of movement in the water. It looked like a person pulling something to shore. After a moment of breathless watching he could see it was Rina pulling Sam, who was not moving.

"Sammy!"

Rina turned towards him and Dean saw Sam start moving, pushing at Rina. Rina let him go and Sam went under for a second, but he quickly bobbed back to the surface. Sam got oriented and started swimming towards Dean. Rina meanwhile had reached the ladder that lead back up to the pier. Dean went to the latter, it was still pretty dark so he pointed the light down on her. Rina looked exhausted. Dean reached a hand down to her. She glanced up, saw him, and looked startled, like she was surprised he was there. And she seemed hesitatant to take his hand.

"Come on, don't be stubborn," he told her. She glanced back down to see Sam reaching the latter. She must have realized she was blocking his way, so she took Dean's hand and allowed him to help her up. Once on, mostly, solid ground she stumbled and fell into Dean.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Take it easy, you look like a drowned cat."

Rina smiled, but her face fell and she stepped away from Dean. "Sam's coming," she gave a small wave to the ladder before stumbling over to her Jeep.

Dean studied her for a second, she wasn't meeting his eyes again. Something was off, he'd have to figure it out after he made sure Sam was okay. Turning back to the ladder he saw the top of Sam's head, the guy must have been booking it to get up the ladder so quickly. Dean grabbed the back of Sam's jacket and drug him up the rest of the way. Not an easy task even without the extra twenty pounds of soaking wet clothes. But Sam seemed desperate about something, was there a mermaid after him? Dean pulled away but Sam grabbed his arm, trying to tell him something around chattering teeth and gasps of breath.

"Dean...she's...she's.."

"Calm down Sam, you gotta breath dude. Is there another mermaid?" Dean glanced at the ladder, expecting to see on of the little fishes appear.

Sam shook his head, "N..no...s..she's...Amazon."

Dean tensed at the last word. Trying to use the shivering Sam as a shield, Dean carefully reached in to his jacket where his gun was. Except it wasn't there.

Sam's eyes went wide with alarm, he was looking over Dean's shoulder. Dean turned, Rina was standing behind him, holding his own gun on them.

Dean clenched his jaw, "Is this the part where you reveal your master plan? Cause I gotta tell you, I just don't care."

One corner of Rina's mouth twitched, "If you'll recall I wanted you to leave."

"I'll bet you did, didn't want your secret getting back to Cas."

"Leave him out of this!" Rina swung and fired two shots.

Dean instinctively moved in front of his shivering brother but the only casualties were two of the dune buggy's tires.

Rina turned back to them and tossed a small cardboard box at their feet, "Get him warm." She kept the gun trained on them as she back her way carefully to the Jeep and got in. Dean watched her as she drove off.

"Son of a bitch!"

He left Sam's side to inspect the damage to their only possible ride. Rina was an excellent shot though and both tires were beyond repair.

A loud crinkling sound made him turn around.

Sam had retrieved the box Rina had tossed at them and was pulling something out of it. Dean came over and saw it was one of those emergency blankets. He took it from Sam's trembling fingers, helped pull off his drenched jacket and shirt, then wrapped him up securely in it.

"You look like a Chipotle burrito," Dean grinned at the sight.

Sam just scowled at him.

They managed to hitch a ride back to the bar. Dean figured they couldn't look to threatening with Sam looking like a half drowned puppy.

The Impala was right where he'd parked her. After a quick check for any signs of Rina, Dean bundled Sam into the back with a change of dry clothes.

"Can you turn the heat on?" Sam whined when Dean started up the car.

"It's not like you fell into the Artic ocean."

The effect of the look Sam gave Dean through the rearview mirror was lessened by the drowned rat look his hair was giving. "The Atlantic is COLD, so just turn on the damn heat."

Dean stifled a chuckle but still turned on the heat. He also stopped and got Sam a large coffee from a gas station before heading back to the pier. Dean left Sam huddled in the car, heater full blast, and coffee gripped in still trembling hands. The bodies of the dead mermaids needed to be taken care of before some fisherman or early morning jogger came along and made a discovery that was the Inquirer's wet dream come true.

But all Dean found out on the dock were a few dark stains. No mermaid bodies to be seen anywhere.

* * *

><p>The sun was just starting to come up over the ocean when they pulled up into the motel parking lot. Sam had been quiet for the ride back but now he finally asked the question Dean had known was coming.<p>

"Are you doing ok?"

Dean shrugged, "Sure, any reason I wouldn't be?"

Sam gave him a confused look, "Yeah Dean, we came across an Amazon."

"So?"

Sam scoffed, "So, it hits a little close to home for you doesn't it?"

Dean really did not want to have this conversation. He knew his best defense against it was playing dumb until Sam just got frustrated with him and gave up. "No, should it?"

"Dean," Sam was defiantly heading towards frustrated, "last time we came across Amazons you ended up with a daughter that we then had to kill. Are you honestly telling me that finding out Rina is an Amazon is not bothering you in the least?"

It was bothering him a lot, he just didn't want to have to add it to the boat load of other crap that was bothering him lately. "Look Sam, I get that you're worried. But I'm fine. This is no different than any other monster we've faced before, ok?"

Sam raised his hands in defeat, "Ok, if you're sure."

"I am."

Sam huffed but didn't say anything more about it. He just got out of the car, "I'm gonna go pay for another night so we can get a little sleep before heading out." They only paid for one night at a time cause they never knew when they might have to leave suddenly. Sam started heading toward the motel office when he paused and turn, "Are you gonna call Cas? Tell him about Rina?"

Another conversation Dean didn't want to have. But, "Yeah, I'll call him." Sam just nodded and walked off.

Dean went into the motel room, he wondered if he should call Cas right then, not like he'd wake him. But Dean needed some sleep himself. He was about to collapse onto his bed, when he stopped dead.

Laying right in the center of his bed was his gun. A small piece of hotel stationary was tucked under it. Dean carefully pulled it out from under the gun and read the two words scrawled across it,

_I'm Sorry_

"You are not going to believe this." Sam came into their room, "I went to pay for another night and the guy at the desk said our room had already been paid for for the rest of the week."

Dean looked up from the note, "What?"

"Yeah, said our 'hot cousin' paid for it. Wanted to know if he could get her number. What's that?"

Dean had just been staring at Sam, still holding the note from Rina. At Sam's question he just handed the note over and retrieved his gun off the bed. He gave it a quick once over while Sam read the note, his brow wrinkled as he puzzled it out.

"That's ... kinda weird." Sam finally said, looking up from the note. "Is that your gun?"

"Yup." Dean tucked the gun under his pillow. It seemed fine, he would give it a full cleaning in the morning.

"Huh," Sam had his 'thinking real hard' face on. "Why would Rina return your gun and pay for our room?"

Dean sat on the bed and began unlacing his boots. "I don't know and I don't care." He pulled his boots off and lay down.

Sam wasn't going to be put off that easily. "I mean, what does she have to gain from any of it?"

Dean sighed and sat back up, "The same thing any of the evil sons of bitches hope to gain from this kind of scam. They want us to trust them so we let our guard down then they can screw us over. It's why she helped Cas. And why she just so happened to turn up at our hunt knowing everything about what we were hunting, including, oh so conveniently, how to kill them. It's the same old bag of tricks. We just caught onto her sooner than she wanted and now she's doing damage control. But it's not gonna work, cause next time I see her I'm gonna put a bullet through her chest before she can pull any more crap!"

Sam was still giving the note an odd look, "You're probably right."

"There is no probably about it Sam."

Sam folded the note up and put it in his pocket. Dean didn't comment on that.

"Let's worry about this after my four hours ok?"

Sam nodded, "Sure."

Dean lay back down and was asleep only a few seconds later. He dreamed he was searching for something. Something he had lost, found, but then lost again.

* * *

><p>Emma sat at the oak table in Hephaestus' kitchen, staring at the ceiling. If she squinted just right she could make out patterns in the wood. She was on her third bottle of scotch and had been informed by a large mechanical bear that she was not getting anymore. Figures Heph would decide to update Honey's programing to include mothering instincts just when Emma needed to get absolutely smashed.<p>

So she was instead forced to savor the last bit of alcohol she had, stare at the ceiling, and sing drinking songs to herself.

_"And the band played on, as the helicopters whirred. Drunk on the lawn in a nuclear dawn, my senses finally blurred."_

The front door of the cabin banged open and Emma fell off her chair in a very undignified way.

"Well it took a lot of digging but I found you another one. I hope you apreciate what I go through for you." Hephaestus' voice was like nails on a chalk board that was being blared through crackly speakers. Emma giggled to herself.

Hephaestus' eyed her, "I told Honey not to let you get drunk."

Emma pulled herself back onto the chair, "Welp, in her defensh, I am nothin' if not determined." Emma grabbed the bottle of scotch and chugged the rest down. "And," she gestured wildly with the empty bottle, "She's jush a machine, while I am a real live pershon. It's like when that chess player played the other thingy that also played chess." Emma looked into the empty bottle. "I need more liquid refreshment."

"That is defiantly not what you need." Before Emma knew what was happening she had been picked up and thrown over Heph's shoulder and he was carrying her outside.

"What are you doing? Put me down!"

Heph stopped a little ways outside the front door. "Okay."

Emma suddenly realized where they were, "No wait, don't, aaaahh." Heph heaved her up into the air and she flew out over the pond next to his cabin. She went under with a large splash. When she got back to the surface Heph was laughing. "You bastard!" she struggled to get back to shore, "I'm going to rip your head off and feed it to you! Aack!" She slipped on some mud and went back down. She came back up spluttering and indignant. Heph was just laughing even harder.

Emma pulled herself up onto the shore, glaring daggers at the Greek god. "I hate you."

"Does this mean you don't want to find out where the next mermaid spawn is going to happen?" Heph asked, wiping away tears of merriment.

Emma glowered at him a little longer before relenting, "Fine. Where is it?"

"In Australia."

Emma made a little sound of displeasure. More planes.

"In four months."

"What?!"

"Mermaids are a dying breed, you're lucky I found anything at all."

Emma buried her face in her hands, "It could be too late by then." She was kinda glad she was dripping wet, she felt a little like crying.

"Not my fault you didn't get the tears in Virginia." Heph shrugged, "Still don't understand how you messed that up."

Emma raised her head to give him another glare, "I was a little too busy trying to save someone's life and then not get killed myself. By the time I got back to the bodies the other mermaids had already claimed them."

Heph just shrugged again, "So you saved one person's life while putting another's in jeopardy. I can see the logic, really."

Emma groaned again, "I think I'm gonna puke."

Heph slapped her on the back with on of his huge hands causing her to stumble forward. "Don't worry, you're little angel friend just needs to conserve the grace he has and he should be fine till we can get you to Australia. In the mean time lets get you dry and I'll make you some sausage and egg biscuits.

Emma slowly trudged back into the house. Heph was right, Cas just needed to be careful and not exert himself. He knew he was fading, she just needed to convince him to go hideout somewhere until she could fix this. And then after she fixed him it would prove to Dean that she was not what he thought she was.

It was less than a month later when she received the call from Cas telling her Dean was dead.

* * *

><p><em>Updates during the holiday season are going to be sporadic at best. I've got a Christmas program to write, a gingerbread house to make for display at a bakery, flyers and posters for the Christmas program, host Thanksgiving, help put on the Christmas program, and take my kiddos into the forest to cut down a Christmas tree and of course decorate my house. And that's all just in the next 2-3 weeks. So I'm a tad busy. But don't worry, I will keep working on A&amp;A and get updates posted when I can. My editor will not be as busy as me since she is single and gets a break from school so she should be able to finally catch up to me.<em>

_As for Emma and Dean, they will meet again, Dean will probably try to make good on the promise to put a bullet in her. Emma will probably take exception to this plan of his. They've got some issues to work through. And what's up with all this stuff Emma is trying to get to save Cas. Will her plan work? Will she get the mermaid tears in time? Will there be more Little Mermaid references? Stay tuned for all these answers and more. -JJ_


	14. Chapter 14 - Dean Calls Cas

_I am working on the next few chapters, but as I said before the holidays are going to be a busy time for me. So to keep you guys tided over, and to prove I haven't abandoned my fic, or died, I'm going to post a few subchapters. Small little excerpts that I had wanted to fit in to the story but didn't cause it either didn't work or I was pressed for time._

_This first one is Dean calling Cas shortly after finding out Emma was an Amazon._

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><p><em>"Did you know?"<em>

Castiel frowned into the phone. He'd been happy to receive the call from Dean. But the hunter seemed very upset if his abruptness was anything to go by. "Did I know what?"

_"About Rina."_ Yes, he was defiantly upset.

"Well," Castiel started carefully, "I know you were on a hunt with her." Apprehension was filling Castiel, he knew Emma had planned to keep her identity a secret from Dean and Sam. Had he found out despite her efforts? "Did everything go okay?"

_"Oh yeah, it was great."_ Castiel was pretty sure that wasn't Dean's 'happy with how a hunt went' voice. _"Mermaids brain raped us, Sam was almost shark bait. Oh and the best part, turns out your new little friend is actually an Amazon."_ Castiel cringed. _"So I'll ask again Cas, did you know?"_

Castiel pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yes, I knew."

There were a few seconds of silence from the other end, then Dean's anger exploded. _"How could you not tell me Cas! You told me I could trust her!"_

"You can."

_"She's an Amazon! She's a monster!"_

"She is not a monster!" Castiel shot back. His outburst must have surprised Dean because he went quiet. Castiel continued, "She's not like other Amazons, she left her tribe. She's on the run, trying to do the right thing."

Dean scoffed, _"Oh please, tell me you are not falling for that? Even you can't be that naive."_

"I'm not being naive, I trust her." Castiel wished he hadn't promised Emma to keep her secret. Explaining to Dean why he trusted Emma was very difficult without telling the whole story. "She's a good person Dean."

_"Right, because she saved you from being homeless. You know, since I was such a crap friend and had abandoned you to the big, bad world."_ Dean's voice was becoming gruffer as his anger grew.

"What? I never .. I know you were just trying to keep Sam safe." Castiel felt like he was losing control of the conversation. "That has nothing to do with why I trust Rina."

_"Right, I'm sure."_ Dean's voice dripped with scorn,_ "Don't you think it's just the tiniest bit convenient that she just happened to meet you? She's using you Cas."_

"No, she isn't."

_"Geez Cas, don't you see it. She found you when you were vulnerable and rode to your rescue in her douche mobile. And you bought it. Again. Didn't you learn anything with April?"_

It was Castiel's turn to lose his temper, "Of course I did. Don't you think that that was the first thing I thought of when I found out who Rina was? Don't you think that I can still remember what it felt like to be stabbed by my own blade? When I found out that Rina was an Amazon I left. And she let me. In fact, she went so far as to leave as well and promised never to come near me again. But then I found out that she had left her tribe because the Queen had given her a command and she would rather live a life on the run rather than kill a good man. So I went and found her, and she was upset that I had. She tried to convince me to stay away from her. And while all this was going on, one of Abaddon's demons found me. Emma risked her life by refusing to tell Abaddon where I was. So yes, Dean, I trust her and you should too."

The other end of the phone was silent for so long that Castiel looked at his screen to make sure the call was still connected. "Dean?"

_"You should have told me Cas."_ Castiel could hear the hurt Dean was trying to hide, _"How could you not tell me?"_

Castiel sighed, the anger suddenly leaving him. "She was afraid of what you would do if you found out."

_"Yeah well, I did find out."_ And Dean ended the call.

Castiel stood in his office for a moment. He could see Hannah standing outside the glass door looking concerned. He was sure the heated argument had been noted by the other angels. He motioned to her that everything was okay, and after another concerned look she left.

Castiel looked down at his phone. He contemplated calling Dean back, telling him everything. But he had made a promise to Emma. Perhaps he could convince her to tell Dean. He already knew she was an Amazon, why not fill him in in the rest. Surely Emma had to see it was for the best.

He dialed her number, but it went straight to voice mail. He continued to try and reach her and he finally did, two days later.

_"CAS!"_

Castiel frowned, Emma sounded unusually exuberant. "Emma?"

_"Well who else would be answering my phone? Of course it's me, silly."_

"Are you .. Okay?" He asked.

_"Yup, I'm great, never better. Just ducky, in fact. Yup. Yup. Yup."_ She broke out into a sniggering laugh.

Castiel narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "Are you intoxicated?"

Emma sniggered again,_ "The way you talk is so friggin' cute. It just makes me wanna pinch your widdle cheeks. We just call it drunk now-a-days, sweetie. And yesss, I am intoxicated."_

"Is this because of what happened with Dean?"

Emma snorted into the phone, _"No .. Okay, yes. But it's also cause I didn't get the tears."_

"The tears?"

_"Ya, it's the whole reason I went to Virginia Beach. The stupid, friggin' tears." _

Castiel tried to puzzle out what Emma meant, "Do you mean mermaid tears?"

_"No, I mean humpback whale tears. Of course I mean mermaid tears!"_ Emma said, sounding exasperated.

"Why do you need mermaid tears?"

_"Well for the thingy of course. Sheesh."_

"What thin-"

_"GIVE THAT BACK! Stupid bear!"_

"I'm sorry, did .. did you say 'bear'?"

_"Ya, Honey. She keeps taking my Scotch."_ Emma dropped her voice to a whisper, _"but I've got a secret stash, heh, heh."_

Castiel decided it was time to get to the reason for his calling, "Emma I really-"

_"And now, I've got to go to Australia!"_

"-think you should .. Wait, Australia?"

_"Mmhmm."_ Castiel could hear glass chinking in the background, _"Got to go to the Land Down Unda."_

"Because the bear took your scotch?"

_"What? No! Stop making such nonsense. I have to go to Australia cause the mermaids will be there."_ Now Castiel could hear a liquid being poured. No doubt Emma had found more Scotch. _"I so don't want to go to Australia, they don't even speak English down there!"_ She whined.

"Um, they do actually. Well, a bastardized version."

_"Exactly, bastards. They give everything weird names. Like a Barbie doesn't mean a doll with unrealistic proportions. No, apparently it's a thing you cook shrimp on! Or at least I hope it is, cause it would be really weird to throw a shrimp onto a doll. Maybe it's some sort of weird game."_

Castiel took a deep breath, he needed to convince Emma to talk to Dean and tell him the whole truth. "Emma you need to talk to-"

_"And do you know how looooong the flight to Australia is?!"_

"Ah, n ..no, not precisely."

_"It's long, so long. AND! You go through a time warp!"_

"What?"

_"Ya, you're flying along and suddenly you're two days into the future, even though you've only been flying for like fifteen hours. It's weird. Like you somehow accidentally stumbled into the Tardis, cause you thought it was just a police call box."_

"Actually it's just the International Date Line. It has nothing to do with a time machine piloted by an extra-terrestrial."

_"Says you .. 'ang on a minute. You are not suppose to be getting pop culture references."_ Emma gave a gasp of horror, _"Have you been replaced by a shapeshifter? Quick, cut yourself with a silver blade to prove you are, who you are, who you say you are."_

Castiel dropped his head down to his hand, "Shapeshifters can't impersonate angels. And how would you be able to tell if I reacted to the knife, were on the phone."

_"We could FaceTime it."_

"What?" Castiel was so confused.

_"FaceTime, baby. It's all the rage."_

"Emma you need to talk to Dean about-"

_"Oh no you don't! Give it back, it's mine!"_ Castiel heard sounds if a scuffle. _"You dumb mechanical rug!"_

"Emma? Emma are you there?"

Sounds of crashing were followed by muffled yells. Eventually Emma came back on the line, _"Cas, I'm gonna hav' to call you back. I've got to go hunt down a bear, rewire its circuits, and get my scotch back."_

"Emma, wait-"

_"K, love ya, bye."_

Castiel looked down at his phone, despairing, "Well that didn't go at all according to plan."

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><p><em>I don't normally laugh at what I'm writing, but when I came up with Emma's line about throwing a shrimp onto a Barbie doll, I couldn't keep from chuckling. :) -JJ<em>


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